chapter 4 of the art of war

Question

[Ts’ao Kung explains the Chinese meaning of the words for the title of
this chapter: "marching and countermarching on the part of the two armies
with a view to discovering each other’s condition." Tu Mu says: "It is
through the dispositions of an army that its condition may be discovered.
Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which
leads to victory; show your dispositions, and your condition will become
patent, which leads to defeat." Wang Hsi remarks that the good general can
"secure success by modifying his tactics to meet those of the enemy."]
1. Sun Tzŭ said: The good fighters of old first put themselves
beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity
of defeating the enemy.
2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the
opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy
himself.
[That is, of course, by a mistake on the enemy’s part.]
3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,
[Chang Yu says this is done, "By concealing the disposition of his troops,
covering up his tracks, and taking unremitting precautions."]
but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
4. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being
able to do it.
5. Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to
defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.
[I retain the sense found in a similar passage in §§ 1-3, in spite of the fact
that the commentators are all against me. The meaning they give, "He who
cannot conquer takes the defensive," is plausible enough.]
6. Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength;
attacking, a superabundance of strength.
7. The general who is skilled in defence hides in the most secret
recesses of the earth;
[Literally, "hides under the ninth earth," which is a metaphor indicating
the utmost secrecy and concealment, so that the enemy may not know his
whereabouts."]
he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights
of heaven.

[Another metaphor, implying that he falls on his adversary like a
thunderbolt, against which there is no time to prepare. This is the opinion of
most of the commentators.]
Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the
other, a victory that is complete.
8. To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common
herd is not the acme of excellence.
[As Ts’ao Kung remarks, "the thing is to see the plant before it has
germinated," to foresee the event before the action has begun. Li Ch’uan
alludes to the story of Han Hsin who, when about to attack the vastly

superior army of Chao, which was strongly entrenched in the city of Ch’eng-
an, said to his officers: "Gentlemen, we are going to annihilate the enemy,

and shall meet again at dinner." The officers hardly took his words seriously,
and gave a very dubious assent. But Han Hsin had already worked out in his
mind the details of a clever stratagem, whereby, as he foresaw, he was able
to capture the city and inflict a crushing defeat on his adversary."]
9. Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight and conquer and
the whole Empire says, "Well done!"
[True excellence being, as Tu Mu says: "To plan secretly, to move
surreptitiously, to foil the enemy’s intentions and balk his schemes, so that at
last the day may be won without shedding a drop of blood." Sun Tzŭ
reserves his approbation for things that
"the world’s coarse thumb
And finger fail to plumb."
10. To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength;
["Autumn hair" is explained as the fur of a hare, which is finest in autumn,
when it begins to grow afresh. The phrase is a very common one in Chinese
writers.]
to see sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of
thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
[Ho Shih gives as real instances of strength, sharp sight and quick hearing:
Wu Huo, who could lift a tripod weighing 250 stone; Li Chu, who at a
distance of a hundred paces could see objects no bigger than a mustard seed;
and Shih K’uang, a blind musician who could hear the footsteps of a
mosquito.]
11. What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only
wins, but excels in winning with ease.
[The last half is literally "one who, conquering, excels in easy
conquering." Mei Yao-ch’en says: "He who only sees the obvious, wins his
battles with difficulty; he who looks below the surface of things, wins with
ease."]
12. Hence his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom
nor credit for courage.
[Tu Mu explains this very well: "Inasmuch as his victories are gained over
circumstances that have not come to light, the world as large knows nothing

of them, and he wins no reputation for wisdom; inasmuch as the hostile state
submits before there has been any bloodshed, he receives no credit for
courage."]
13. He wins his battles by making no mistakes.
[Ch’en Hao says: "He plans no superfluous marches, he devises no futile
attacks." The connection of ideas is thus explained by Chang Yu: "One who
seeks to conquer by sheer strength, clever though he may be at winning
pitched battles, is also liable on occasion to be vanquished; whereas he who
can look into the future and discern conditions that are not yet manifest, will
never make a blunder and therefore invariably win."]
Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for
it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
14. Hence the skilful fighter puts himself into a position which
makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for
defeating the enemy.
[A "counsel of perfection" as Tu Mu truly observes. "Position" need not
be confined to the actual ground occupied by the troops. It includes all the
arrangements and preparations which a wise general will make to increase
the safety of his army.]
15. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle
after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat
first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
[Ho Shih thus expounds the paradox: "In warfare, first lay plans which
will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin
with stratagem but rely on brute strength alone, victory will no longer be
assured."]
16. The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly
adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control
success.
17. In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement;
secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly,
Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory.
18. Measurement owes its existence to Earth; Estimation of
quantity to Measurement; Calculation to Estimation of quantity;
Balancing of chances to Calculation; and Victory to Balancing of
chances.
[It is not easy to distinguish the four terms very clearly in the Chinese.
The first seems to be surveying and measurement of the ground, which
enable us to form an estimate of the enemy’s strength, and to make
calculations based on the data thus obtained; we are thus led to a general
weighing-up, or comparison of the enemy’s chances with our own; if the
latter turn the scale, then victory ensues. The chief difficulty lies in third
term, which in the Chinese some commentators take as a calculation of
numbers, thereby making it nearly synonymous with the second term.
Perhaps the second term should be thought of as a consideration of the
enemy’s general position or condition, while the third term is the estimate of
his numerical strength. On the other hand, Tu Mu says: "The question of
relative strength having been settled, we can bring the varied resources of

cunning into play." Ho Shih seconds this interpretation, but weakens it.
However, it points to the third term as being a calculation of numbers.]
19. A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound’s
weight placed in the scale against a single grain.
[Literally, "a victorious army is like an i (20 oz.) weighed against a shu
(1/24 oz.); a routed army is a shu weighed against an i." The point is simply
the enormous advantage which a disciplined force, flushed with victory, has
over one demoralized by defeat. Legge, in his note on Mencius, I. 2. ix. 2,
makes the i to be 24 Chinese ounces, and corrects Chu Hsi’s statement that it
equaled 20 oz. only. But Li Ch’uan of the T’ang dynasty here gives the same
figure as Chu Hsi.]

20. The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-
up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep. So much for

tactical dispositions.

Choose one chapter from The Art of War that you found to be especially powerful or meaningful. Write a one paragraph (minimum 7 sentences) summary of that chapter and explain why you consider it an essential part of the work as a whole.

Answer 1

Chapter 4 of "The Art of War," titled "Positioning," emphasizes the importance of strategy in warfare, focusing on the interplay of offensive and defensive tactics. Sun Tzŭ argues that good fighters proactively ensure their own security against defeat while awaiting opportunities to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses. He articulates that true excellence in warfare is not merely winning battles but doing so with an ease and subtlety that is often unrecognized by the masses. The chapter stresses the importance of careful planning, secrecy, and the ability to anticipate the enemy's moves, suggesting that success comes from calculated actions rather than brute force. Sun Tzŭ further illustrates that a victorious strategist plans for victory before engaging in battle, contrasting this with those who recklessly fight and seek victory afterward. This chapter is essential to the work as a whole because it encapsulates the wisdom of strategic foresight, the significance of tactical positioning, and the psychological aspects of warfare, all of which have applications beyond military contexts, influencing leadership and decision-making in various fields. Ultimately, Chapter 4 serves as a reminder that the most effective strategies stem from a deep understanding of one's circumstances and the ability to maneuver deftly within them, facilitating a triumph that is often achieved without direct conflict.