10 Unity of Opposites in The Art of War

For the past ten years, we have been immersed in the world of The Art of War, pondering the complex issues and philosophical perspectives it contains. This research makes us gradually realize that the core of Sun Tzu’s Art of War is actually at ten levels, centered around ten pairs of key contradictions. These contradictions run through the entire “The Art of War” and are of value and enlightenment for us to continue to think about today. Whether it is solving war problems or challenges in other fields, it involves the interaction, opposition and unity of these contradictions.

1.The unity of opposites between righteousness and benefit

In “The Art of War”, a key contradiction is the relationship between morality and utilitarianism. War is definitely not fun, it kills people.In the sense of morality and humanity, war should not exist, but in the sense of historical development and practical interests, war cannot be avoided.The problem that Sun Tzu wanted to solve was how to strike a balance between morality and utilitarianism, find a combining point, and unify them.

Many people have always thought that Sun Tzu only talked about utilitarianism. Yes, Sun Tzu emphasized utilitarianism in particular. He said at the beginning that when the army fights a war, it decides whether to fight or how to fight based on the size of the interests. He also said that if there is no benefit, don’t fight, don’t move if there is no benefit, and don’t use the army until there is a threat. His first concern is interests, and he does take a utilitarian stance.

But doesn’t Sun Tzu pay attention to morality? In fact, Sun Tzu is very moral. Sun Tzu said that the maximum war effect should be achieved with minimum losses. Sun Tzu advocated diplomatic warfare and using strategy to defeat the enemy, but opposed open warfare. He was most opposed to “attacking the city”, which he considered to be the next best thing to do because of the human casualties. Sun Tzu was always looking for a balance between the pursuit of utilitarianism and the preservation of morality.

There should be rules for games and a bottom line for morality. Sun Tzu’s profound thoughts guide us to think about how to find a balance between morality and utilitarianism in complex decision-making so that we can better cope with challenges. You can disagree with him, but you can’t help but recognize the profundity of his thoughts and the depth of his grasp of the issues .

2.The unity of opposites between strength and strategy

Everyone says that The Art of War is about strategy, and that is true. But The Art of War is not only about strategy, it also focuses on strength. The biggest difference between The Art of War and The Thirty-Six Stratagems is that The Thirty-Six Stratagems is about doing business without capital. The Art of War emphasizes that although your strategy is very good, you must use your strength as a foundation, and without strength as a guarantee, your strategy will have nothing to do. But if there is no strategy, your strength is also empty furnishings, also useless, the two should be organically unified.

Sun Tzu mentioned in Chapter 4 that a certain land area can produce certain material resources, and certain material resources can produce a certain army. A certain army constitutes a comparison of strength, and then the comparison of strength determines the outcome of the war. Therefore, Sun Tzu attaches great importance to strength.

Strengths are defined differently by different people; for example, for students, diplomas and skills are seen as strengths. Having strengths is important, but not enough to ensure success. If you are not appreciated or valued, or if you do not take the initiative to create opportunities, strengths may not be utilized, leading to dissatisfaction and complaints. Having strengths is only the first step, but strategy and action plans are equally important. When strength and strategy are combined, opportunities are better utilized and success is achieved.

3.The unity of opposites between constant and change

Sun Tzu attaches great importance to the general principles of military science. This general principle is “constant”, that is, those things that are relatively stable and have become a rule of thumb. These experiences are all exchanged for blood and life, and are put forward through war practice. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu mentioned many of these basic principles, which are still inspiring to us today. For example, Sun Tzu said that you should not push too hard against a cornered enemy. If you push too hard, the enemy will fight you tooth and nail. Another example is Sun Tzu’s mention of leaving a gap when surrounding the enemy. These are the experiences gained from countless wars. Sun Tzu attaches great importance to these basic experiences.

But Sun Tzu believed that “change” is more important in using troops. He said that there is no specific method prescribed for the army to fight, but just like running water, which has no fixed shape, the flow of water depends on where it goes.Sun Tzu believes that adapting to circumstances is the highest level of military use. Therefore, we must not only follow basic experience but also use methods creatively.

4.The unity of opposites between respecting objective laws and exerting subjective initiative

There are some words in “The Art of War” that seem very contradictory to us. For example, Sun Tzu said in Chapter 4, Military Shape, “Victory can be known but cannot be done” – Sun Tzu believed that victory can be predicted, but it should not be forcibly created. But in Chapter 6, “Virtual and Real”, Sun Tzu said that “victory can be achieved” – Sun Tzu believed that victory can be created by others. This seems to contradict the previous point.

In the same book “The Art of War”, how come there are two completely different statements in more than 5,000 words? Of course this is not an error in writing. In fact, it contains Sun Tzu’s deeper philosophical thinking. Sun Tzu believed that, on the one hand, war is an objective phenomenon. You must seek truth from facts, respect objective conditions, and cannot fight when conditions are not mature. But on the other hand, Sun Tzu believed that a commander should not be inactive or passive in the face of war, but should be proactive. You should actively create conditions and use your subjective initiative to make victory come sooner.

This seemingly contradictory view actually reflects Sun Tzu’s idea of the unity of opposites in The Art of War. He believes that respecting objective conditions and exerting subjective initiative are not contradictory, but complementary, and the two are unified in the process of achieving victory in actual combat.

5.The unity of opposites between specific steps and ambitious goals

“The best way to win the war is to win with strategy.” This is Sun Tzu’s purpose in using troops, which means that we must attach great importance to intelligence and strategic planning in military operations. This is an ideal state, emphasizing strategy and planning. But at the same time, Sun Tzu believed that the inner and outer should be unified. It is important to set high goals, but these goals must be achieved through step-by-step actions and concrete measures. Build on the basics first, and then gradually move toward ambitious goals. Sun Tzu was always thinking about the relationship between the unity of opposites between specific steps and ambitious goals, which reflects the complexity and philosophical depth of Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

6.The unity of opposites between benefit and harm

Sun Tzu believed that everything, including war, contains both advantages and disadvantages. You want to start a war, but it is unrealistic to only think about the benefits and not think about the harm. Just like if you like a person, while you like his advantages, you have to accept his shortcomings. Without his shortcomings, his advantages will not exist at the same time. Therefore, Sun Tzu also has many famous sayings in this regard. One of the most brilliant words is that “the concerns of a wise man must be mixed with interests and harms.” That is to say, a wise and intelligent person will put interests and harms together and treat them dialectically. When doing something, while considering the benefits, you should also think about the possible harms; when there are harms, you should also think of the advantages, because disasters and blessings are stored in the same thing, and they are It is constantly transforming, just like Tai Chi Diagram.

7.The unity of opposites between roundabout and straight

Sun Tzu’s Art of War encourages people to think in curves and to achieve their goals through skillful strategies and methods rather than by direct, violent means. This approach reduces the risk of conflict and confrontation.

Take writing a letter as an example. If your classmate borrows a book or money from you, but you are too embarrassed to ask for it directly. Then you can start by weaving a cordial conversation and greeting, and finally mention the request to return the book indirectly, and seemingly casually. On the surface, it is a twist and turn, but in fact the most important thing is the last sentence, not the previous greeting. In fact, what appears to be a long way is actually a shortcut. This approach avoids awkwardness and conflict and makes it easier to get a positive response.

8.The unity of opposites between doing things and abstinence

In doing everything, Sun Tzu particularly emphasized the need for mediocrity. The word “mediocrity” is not mentioned in the book. The word “mediocrity” belongs to Confucianism, but their principles are the same.Moderation refers to having a sense of proportion. This sense of proportion is very important. If you overdo it, it is the same as not doing it. How to do it just right, Sun Tzu has a deep understanding of this issue.

Sun Tzu talked about five kinds of mistakes and dangers that will be put to good use in “VARIATION IN TACTICS“: “There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general: Recklessness, which leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper , which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. These are the five besetting sins of a general, ruinous to the conduct of war. “In fact, what he is talking about here is the issue of grasping the degree. Not being afraid of sacrifice, loving honor and integrity, sharing the same hatred with the enemy, and caring for the common people are all good qualities, but if you go too far, you will go to the opposite side of things.

9.The unity of opposites between totality and partiality

Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of pursuing total victory in strategic planning. He advocated leaving no room for flaws and pursuing a strategy of total victory to ensure optimal results. However, Sun Tzu also pointed out that sometimes too comprehensive preparation may lead to dispersal of resources and reduced efficiency.

Sun Tzu’s thought emphasized balance, arguing that total victory and total preparation should be unified. While the pursuit of total victory is the ideal, practical strategy should concentrate forces, focus on key points, and wisely prioritize. Lack of focus and distraction would result in failure to achieve victory.

10.The unity of opposites between knowing and doing

Sun Tzu particularly emphasized that you should be good at learning, but you should also pay more attention to practice. Without learning, there will be no accumulation of knowledge, and without theoretical guidance, your practice will be blind. But without practice, your theory is nothing. Therefore, he always emphasized the unity and coordination between knowing and doing.

The above are the ten principles of the unity of opposites in “The Art of War” that I have summarized. These ten principles of the unity of opposites are the true art of military use and the great wisdom of life. These principles are widely used in different fields and can ultimately be sublimated into great wisdom in life.