Sun Zi

Sun Zi or Sun Tzu or Souen Tseu (in Chinese 孫子, pinyin: Sūn Zǐ, Lagging-Gilles: sun 1 tzu 3 , to pronounce //, means “main Sun”) of its true name Sun Wu (孫武, Sūn Wǔ, sun 1 wu 3 , wǔ meaning “military”, “martial”), is a general Chinese fifth century BC (544-496 av. J. - C.).

It is especially famous as an author of the known work of Stratégie military oldest: the Art of the war . The principal idea of its work is that the objective of the war is to force the enemy to give up the fight, including without combat, thanks to the trick, espionage and a great mobility: it is thus a question of adapting to the strategy of the adversary, to secure the victory with lower costs.

It is said that Mao Zedong and Stalin read this book during the war. The ideas of the Art of the war were taken up and adapted by various authors for the Stratégie and in particular the Stratégie of company.

Sources

The two works detailing more the exploits of Sun Zi are the historical memories (or Shiji ), of Sima Qian, and the Printemps and of the Falls of the Kingdoms of Wu and Yue of Zhao Ye. It is presented there like a military strategist of the end of the Period of Springs and Falls, general of the state of Wu under the reign of the king He Lu. It would be him which would have conceived the attack of Wu against the state of Chu. Older authors, Dynasty Han, also mention Sun Zi, as a military strategist (Xunzi and Han Fei), but without particular precision on the author.

The mystery Sun Zi

If the art of the war makes authority, the life of its author is however a mystery and consists especially of assumption. The first considers that Sun Zi forever existed: it is a myth which would have occurred towards the end of Springs and the Falls, becoming extensive thereafter.

A second assumption sees in Sun Zi another character of the Royaumes combatants: Sun Bin (the contents and the form of the Art of the war would make it posterior in Spring and Automnes). The discovery of two tombs Han in 1972, containing a Art of the War of Sun Bin , makes this assumption null and void: Sun Zi and Sun Bin would be distinct (since there exist two distinct works). But the first would be perhaps downward of the second.

Muting (Dynasty Qing), in Corrections on Sun Zi , saw in Sun Zi Wu Zixu. This last, originating in Wu, would have left for IQ, and would have took the name of Sun . One of its descendants would be Sun Bin. Traditional works, like the Shiji , reject however this assumption.

A last assumption considers that Sun Zi indeed existed, that it was originating in IQ, of which it would have fled the disorders to take refuge in Wu.

Random links: