Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare : A Translation

A classic of both military strategy and Eastern philosophy from the fourth century B.C.E. A volume in the SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture David L. Hall and Roger T. Ames, editors

D.C. Lau is Professor Emeritus at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Acknowledgments

xi

Introduction

1

(1)

The Excavation at Yinqueshan

1

(3)

Sun Bin as a Historical Person

4

(12)

The Reconstructed Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare

16

(4)

Analysis of Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare

20

(20)

An Overview

20

(2)

Sunzi and Sun Bin: The Overlap

22

(1)

Sunzi and Sun Bin: Textual Borrowings

23

(1)

Sunzi and Sun Bin: Thematic Continuities

24

(5)

Sunzi and Sun Bin: The Differences

29

(2)

Sun Bin on Siege Warfare

31

(1)

Sun Bin and the Introduction of Cavalry

32

(2)

Sun Bin and Battle Formation (zhen)

34

(6)

Sun Bin: Current Assessments of its Value

40

(3)

The Art of Warfare as a Genre

43

(3)

Sun Bin as Philosophical Literature

46

(45)

Foreknowledge (zhi)

53

(7)

The Way (dao)

60

(2)

Strategic Advantage (shi)

62

(2)

Weighing with the Lever Scales (quan)

64

(3)

Battle Formation and Diplay (zhen / chen)

67

(4)

Adaptability (bian)

71

(2)

Yin-yang and a Correlative Vocabulary

73

(4)

The Exemplary Commander (jiang)

77

(6)

The Complete Victory (quan sheng)

83

(8)

Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare A Translation

Part I---Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare The Sixteen-Chapter Text Recovered from the Yinqueshan Han Dynasty Strips

Capturing Pang Juan

91

(3)

[An Audience with King Wei of Qi]

94

(3)

The Questions of King Wei of Qi

97

(8)

Tian Ji Inquires about Battlefield Defenses

105

(5)

On Selecting the Troops

110

(2)

The Moon and Warfare

112

(2)

The Eightfold Division of Formations

114

(2)

Terrain as Treasure

116

(2)

Preparing the Strategic Advantage (shi)

118

(3)

[The Real Nature of Military]

121

(2)

Carrying out the Selection of Personnel

123

(2)

Sacrifice in Battle

125

(2)

Raising and Keeping Morale High

127

(2)

Coordinating Military Assignments

129

(4)

The Five Kinds of Training Methods

133

(2)

[Strengthening the Military]

135

(4)

Part II---Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare The Fifteen Supplemental Chapters Recovered from the Yinqueshan Han Dynasty Strips

Ten Military Formations

139

(5)

Ten Questions

144

(5)

Overwhelming an Armed Infantry

149

(2)

The Positions of Invader and Defender

151

(3)

The Expert Commander

154

(2)

Five Postures and Five Situations in which an Army Respects Conventions

156

(2)

[Military Mistakes]

158

(2)

The Rightness (yi) of the Commander

160

(2)

[The Excellence (de) of the Commander]

162

(1)

Fatal Weaknesses of the Commander

163

(1)

[Fatal Mistakes of the Commander]

164

(3)

[Male and Female Fortifications]

167

(2)

[Five Considerations and Nine Objectives]

169

(2)

[Concentrated and Sparse Troops]

171

(2)

Straightforward and Surprise Operations

173

(6)

Part III---Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare Text Recovered from Later Commentarial, Historical, and Encyclopedic Sources

Ten Advantages of Using the Cavalry

179

(1)

Attacking the Heart-and-Mind

180

(1)

Fragments

181

(16)

Appendix

Background to the Excavation at Yinqueshan

187

(1)

Dating the Tombs and Identifying the Occupants

188

(2)

The First Published Reports

190

(2)

The Bamboo Strip Manuscripts and their Dates

192

(5)

Notes

197

(40)

Bibliography of Works Cited

237

(6)

Index

243

(10)

About the Authors

253

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Sun Bin: The Art of Warfare : A Translation of the Classic Chinese Work of Philosophy and Strategy

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials