A cursory comparison & contrast between the classics of Sun tzu & Niccolo Machiavelli of the same title -- The Art of War. Is there a philosophy behind the act of war?

1. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum?

2.  War is Integral In  War is a Philosophy!
Human History  Like all other
 It’s More than An Act philosophies,
 For Survival understanding it
 For Self-Defence helps to understand
 For Self-Promotion human nature,
 For Gain
purpose & ideals
 Is It Universal?

3. ANCIENT CHINA RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

4. SUN TZU: 722–481 BC? MACHIAVELLI 1469-1527
 Served the Emperor of  Served the Medici of
Wu Florence
 Bing Fa, 403–221 BC?  Dell'arte della guerra,
 Multiple Authorship, 1520
Sun Bin his grandson  Single Author
 Similar to an  Similar to a Socratic
Aristotelian Manual Dialogue by Plato

5. FLORENTINE
WARRING STATES RENAISSANCE
 Opportunity to Unite  Dependence on
Fragmented Kingdoms Condotieri Mercenaries
 Educate Generals Who  Cultivate Local Army
Will Recruit, Trained in the
Discipline & Lead Tradition of Roman
Field Officers & Legions
Soldiers  Influenced Napoleon
 Influenced Mao tse Bonaparte, Carl Von
tung & Ho Chih Minh Clausewitz

6.  Use of Aphorisms & Anecdotes
 Zoom Perspectives: Strategic
(Macro/Campaign) & Tactical (Micro/Battles)
 All Is Fair in War but only to the Victor
 Peace is still the ideal, just as long as it isn’t
the peace of our grave but those of the enemy.
 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.

7. THIRTEEN CHAPTERS SEVEN BOOKS
 I. The Calculations  Preface
 II. The Challenge  First Book
 III. The Plan of Attack
 IV. Positioning
 Second Book
 V. Directing  Third Book
 VI. Illusion and Reality  Fourth Book
 VII. Engaging The Force  Fifth Book
 VIII. The Nine Variations
 IX. Moving The Force
 Sixth Book
 X. Situational Positioning  Seventh Book
 XI. The Nine Situations  Appendix
 XII. The Fiery Attack
 XIII. The Use of Intelligence

8. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 The art of war is of  Knowing how to fight
vital importance to the made men more bold,
State. It is a matter of because no one fears
life and death, a road doing what it seems to
either to safety or to him he has learned to
ruin do. Therefore, the
ancients wanted their
citizens to be trained in
every warlike action.

9. POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
 Mandate  Minutes
 Motives  Methods
 Message  Means
 Manpower  Money

10.  Victory = Destiny. Right Is Might
 Rhetoric of Justice & Virtue
 Call for Sacrifice; Command & Control
 Leadership Displays Sincerity & Consistency

11. SUN TZU SAYS MACHIAVELLI SAYS
 Confront your people  A battle that you win
with annihilation, and cancels any other bad
they will then survive; action of yours. In the
plunge them into a same way, by losing
deadly situation, and one, all the good things
they will then live.
When people fall into worked by you before
danger, they are then become vain.
able to strive for
victory.

12.  Expound on Rhetoric vs. Hide the Ulterior
 Sovereign & Subjects Must Be In Harmony
 Clear “Official” Purpose:
 Defence from Hostility;
 Advantageous Enforcement of Treaty;
 Conquest
 Right Understanding of the Enemy
 Neither underestimate nor overestimate

13. SUN TZU: MACHIAVELLI:
 For the nation to perceive  Necessities can be
the advantage of many, but the one that
defeating the enemy, is stronger is that
they must also have their which constrains you
rewards. to win or to die.
 One bushel of the
enemy's provisions is
 Since the handling of
worth twenty of our arms is a beautiful
own ... taking the spectacle, it is
enemy's wealth is a delightful to young
matter of reward. men.

14.  Machinery; Technology; Logistics; Materials
 Build & Preserve a Position of Advantage
 Efficiency & Effectiveness Are Measures of
Value
 Commandeer the Enemy’s Resources &/or
Destroy Them

15. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 A nation can be  What benefits the
impoverished by the enemy harms you &
army when it has to what benefits you
supply the army at harms the enemy.
great distances ...
Therefore, a wise  It is better to defeat the
general will strive to enemy by hunger than
feed off the enemy. by steel.
 Opportunities multiply
as they are seized.

16.  Spend You Own Funds Sparingly; Steal
When There Is Opportunity
 Use What Is Readily Available Than to Wait
For What You Need
 Pass On the Cost to the Vanquished:
Sequestration; Reparations & Ransom

17. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 He who wishes to fight  Present wars impoverish the
must first count the cost. lords that win as much as
 Many calculations lead to those that lose.
victory, & few calculations  Men, steel, money & bread
to defeat: how much more are the sinews of war; but of
no calculations at all? these four, the first two are
 When you plunder the more necessary, for men
countryside, divide the and steel find money and
wealth among your troops; bread, but money and bread
when you expand your do not find men and steel.
territory, divide up and  War makes thieves, and
hold places of advantage. peace hangs them.

18.  Schedules , Timetables & Past Records
 Swiftness & Economy Determine Victory
 Delays & Protracted Wars Are Technical
Defeats
 Learn from History Or Commit the Same, If
Not Worse, Mistakes

19. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 Whoever is first in the  New & speedy things
field and awaits the frighten armies, while
coming of the enemy, the customary and slow
will be fresh for the things are esteemed
fight; whoever is little by them:
second in the field and  Good captains never
has to hasten to battle come to an engagement
will arrive exhausted unless necessity
 When doing battle, compels them, or the
seek a quick victory. opportunity calls them.

20.  Movements; Formations
 Wars Are Fought Using Illusion
 Surprise The Enemy & Be Unpredictable
 Discipline Is Essential to Overcome Limits

21. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 Strategy without tactics  In war, discipline can do
is the slowest route to more than fury.
victory. Tactics without  To know in war how to
strategy is the noise recognize an opportunity
before defeat. and seize it is better than
anything else.
 Warfare is the Way of
 There is nothing as likely
deception.
to succeed as what the
enemy believes you
cannot attempt.

22.  Officers; Rank & File
 Discipline & Morale Begins with the Leader
 Use Your Casualties to Inspire; Kill Deserters
 If You Can’t Befriend the Enemy, Make Them
Fear You

23. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 The general who advances  Nature creates few men
without coveting fame & brave; industry and training
retreats without fearing make many.
disgrace, whose only thought  When soldiers are confined
is to protect his country & do
good service for his to their quarters, they are
sovereign, is the jewel of the kept there by fear or
kingdom. punishment; then when
they are led by war, through
 Regard your soldiers as your hope and reward.
children, and they will follow
you into the deepest valleys.  The forces of adversaries
Look on them as your own are more diminished by the
beloved sons, and they will loss of those who flee than
stand by you even unto of those who are killed.
death!

24.  Know Yourself & the Enemy but Keep Your
Cards Close to Your Chest.
 Do not Rely on Luck, Signs & Superstitions,
except for Propaganda
 Plant Information That Is Irrelevant,
Confusing or, Better Still, Deceiving to the
Enemy
 Correct Reconnaissance & Espionage Is the
Most Valuable Resource

25. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 Generally, commanding of  Act so your enemies do not
many is like commanding of know how you want to
a few. It is a matter of organize your army for battle,
dividing them into groups ... and in whatever way you
of communications through organize them, arrange it so
flags and pennants. that the first line can be
 What enables the enlightened received by the second and
rulers and good generals to by the third
conquer the enemy at every  Never lead your soldiers to
move and achieve battle if you have not first
extraordinary success is confirmed their spirit and
foreknowledge ... obtained known them to be without
from people who have fear and ordered; and never
knowledge of the enemy's test them except when you
situation. see that they hope to win.

26. SUN TZU SAYS: MACHIAVELLI SAYS:
 Generally in warfare,  ... if a King does not organize
keeping a nation intact is himself in such a way that his
best, destroying a nation infantry in time of peace are
second best; keeping an content to return to their homes
army intact is best, & live from the practice of their
destroying an army second
best ... own professions ... for there is
not to be found a more
 Therefore, to gain a
hundred victories in a dangerous infantry ...who
hundred battles is not the make the waging of war their
highest excellence; to profession; for you are forced
subjugate the enemy's army to make war always, or pay
without doing battle is the them always, or to risk the
highest of excellence danger that they take away the
Kingdom from you.

27.  What is Hell?
 What Is Heaven?
 What is War?
 What Is Peace?
 Peace Is Not the
Absence of War but
Understanding
One’s Violent Nature
& Appropriately
Responding to It

28.  A Young Tribal
Chief’s Dilemma of
Warriorship &
Sageliness
 The epitome of the
internal conflict of
pursuing serenity or
satisfaction
 The personal choice
of which to feed &
nurture

29.  Knowing when, why & how you
 prove your superiority ...
 assert your will & lifestyle ...
 exploit another’s weakness ...
 deal with a threat ...
 ... means you have a philosophy of war.
 Know it well & know how to find peace as
well.