War as Art

Sun Tzu’s Art of War is a philosophical document that explains the terms of a War and what is needed to find success in War. The document seems familiar to me, as many of the things that Sun Tzu says, can parallel to different things that I have learned during my time at the Academy.

Early in to the list, Sun Tzu says that people must be in complete accord with their ruler, so that the rulers will be followed regardless of danger or chance of death. At the Academy, you can receive a major conduct offense for actions that do not align with following your “rulers” orders to a T. This is an example of how we are taught to follow orders exactly. Not only can you receive an offense, but plebe summer consists of 7 weeks of doing exactly that. This engrains a thought process into the students here that all orders must be followed, no matter your opinions on them. Another parallel between what we learn here and the Art of War is the philosophy that War is heavily based on deception and planning. We take several classes here, and will continue to study tactics for the rest of our military career. We learn that it is never smart to challenge others head on, or exhaust all resources for little gain.  This is revolutionary as prior to Sun Tzu, many wars consisted of two nations battling large battles in brute force attacks.  Also, Sun Tzu makes it clear that every battle does not have to be fought. It is acceptable to flee from battles where it is clear you are outmatched. Generally, Sun Tzu is saying that War is an art, and that letting your pride or anger get in the way will cause disaster. Not preparing for battle, or picking fights you cannot win due to pride will result in a defeat.

Sun Tzu’s philosophy on war is impressive, and completely changed the way wars have been battled. The philosophy is way ahead of its time, and many of the fundamental things Sun Tzu mentions are taught to military leaders up to this day. Sun Tzu’s philosophy is an effective plan to win wars, and to outsmart your enemies through careful planning and artistic strategizing. All in all, the Art of War is an impressive piece of work that still shows its fundamental teachings today in our nation’s military.

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