Reading the Sun Tzu: Chapter 1 – Paragraphs 3-6 The Five Factors. Let’s focus on the first: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. 4. These are: (1) The Moral Law; [ (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline]. 5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. (Tr. Giles, 1910) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first factor is DAO 道, (i.e. the Tao) which Giles translates as ‘Moral Law’. He notes: “It appears from what follows [in paragraphs 5-6] that Sun Tzu means by 道 [DAO] a principle of harmony, not unlike the Tao of Lao Tzu in its moral aspect. One might be tempted to render it by “morale”, were it not considered an attribute of the ruler in § 13.” Mair (2007) disagrees: “This is not the metaphysical entity of early Taoist discourse nor the ethical and cosmological construct of Confucian thought. Rather, in the Sun Tzu, it is a practical, methodological notion.” Sawyer (1993): “Not the metaphysical Tao of the Taoists but the Tao of government, understood as legal and administrative measures and policies. Liu Yin (劉 寅, Ming dynasty) understands it in terms of the usual array of Confucian virtues [as does Zhang Yu, see below]. However, … the concept [of Tao] is never made explicit in the Art of War.” Other translations: Moral Influence (Griffith), the Way (Cleary, Ames, Mair, Thorne), the Tao (Sawyer), Ethics (Ivanhoe). Annotators: Cao Cao (曹 操 , 155-220 AD): “This means guiding them by instruction and direction. Danger means distrust.” Zhang Yu (張 預 , 13th cent.): “When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders. The Book of Changes says: ‘In happiness at overcoming difficulties, people forget the danger of death’.”
Posted on: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 14:34:00 +0000