Attributed to the renowned military strategist Sun Tzu of the Spring and Autumn Period, The Art of War is the world's earliest treatise on the art of warfare. It profoundly synthesizes the rich combat experiences of various states during that era, offering a concentrated overview of the general laws governing strategy and tactics.
Brimming with strategic wisdom, the book has been regarded as the golden rule for guiding warfare by military strategists ever since its publication. It not only provides a theoretical foundation for military operations but also offers significant guidance in the realms of politics and economics.
The Art of War establishes the conditions for victory in war, with "The Moral Law" (Dao) as its foremost principle. It opens with a clear declaration: warfare is a matter of vital importance to the State, involving life and death, and thus must be thoroughly examined. Therefore, one must "analyze it through five fundamental factors and compare the seven elements to fathom the conditions of the battlefield."
Furthermore, it reveals the universal military law that "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." For the first time in history, Sun Tzu concisely summarized this universally applicable principle of war guidance—an unprecedented achievement that stands as the essence of the book's military thought.
The text also presents the theory of deterrence strategy for the first time. In the chapter on Attack by Stratagem, Sun Tzu states: "Thus, to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." He provides a detailed discourse on how to achieve this: "The highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities." In summary, this entails the comprehensive use of political, diplomatic, economic, and military deterrents to prevent the outbreak of war and achieve ultimate political objectives.
The Art of War also reflects a rich blend of naive materialism and primitive dialectics. Throughout its thirteen chapters, it is evident that when analyzing warfare and assessing the likelihood of victory, Sun Tzu always started from objective conditions, fully acknowledging warfare's dependence on them. Notably, his interpretations of "The Moral Law" and "Heaven" are materialistic in nature. The "Dao" in the book is not something elusive or intangible, but refers to the objective reality where "the people are in complete accord with their ruler." "Heaven" is not a divine entity, but natural phenomena such as "night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons."
Since its inception, The Art of War has enjoyed immense prestige not only in China but worldwide. It is hailed alongside Carl von Clausewitz's On War as one of the greatest military classics in the world, exerting an extremely broad and profound influence. Its dissemination abroad began earliest in Japan; experts suggest it likely reached Japan and became known there by the early 6th century at the latest. For a considerable period, it shaped Japanese military thought, becoming its structural core. Introduced to Europe in the 18th century, it has since been translated into 29 languages and published globally, serving as required reading in military academies of many nations. Overseas, Sun Tzu is acclaimed as the "Sage of War of the East," the "Founder of Oriental Military Science," and "one of the few great Chinese figures whose influence has transcended the Chinese cultural sphere to impact the world." The book itself is revered as the "Sacred Canon of Military Science" and the "Foremost Ancient Military Masterpiece of the World."
Its social impact extends far beyond the field of military science, capturing the interest of statesmen, diplomats, economists, entrepreneurs, and even the general public worldwide. It serves as a guide for decision-making in business competition and offers strategies for personal conduct in life. Napoleon Bonaparte of France reportedly carried it as an essential military manual wherever he went, and after World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany lamented his defeat, regretting that he had not known of The Art of War earlier.