The Art of War by Sun Tzu | Episode 1: The Art of War is not about 'how to fight,' but a 'judgment document for avoiding defeat'

Introduction

In Part 1, I shared my own interpretation of the 'reasons why judgment becomes distorted.' In Part 2, I will interpret Sun Tzu's Art of War as

a principle for avoiding fatal judgment errors within the battle of business.

The Art of War is neither a manual for war nor a collection of techniques for winning. It has only one essence.

'How can one avoid fatal judgment errors?'



The entire work is devoted to that single point.

At the beginning, Sun Tzu states:

War is a matter of vital importance to the state;
the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin.

This does not mean 'war is important.' It confronts us with the cold fact that


there are situations where, if you misjudge, everything ends.

If we translate this to the modern day:

• Whether to sell the company or keep it going
• Whether to delegate to others or handle it yourself
• Whether to attack or retreat
• Whether to change now or postpone it

Each of these judgments becomes a 'province of life or death' before we even realize it. Yet, people
• Because there is a precedent

• Because there is no problem right now

• Because no one is angry at me
• Because everyone else is doing it
for these reasons, they


abandon the judgment itself.

What Sun Tzu was most wary of was not a lack of courage or a lack of knowledge.

Deciding without correctly seeing the situation

is the issue itself. That is why the first chapter of the Art of War does not begin with how to fight, but with 'Calculation (Kei).'

In this series, I will not cover:

• How to win
• Secrets to success
• Reproducible know-how.

What I will cover is:

• Why judgment becomes distorted
• Where people misjudge
• How to avoid misjudging
• Where people stop thinking

That structure.

How often have you looked back on the 'judgment itself' rather than the 'result' until now? The Art of War is not a book for reflection. It is a

book for prevention


. In other words, it is a book that preaches the
philosophy of winning without fighting as much as possible.

The Art of War consists of 13 chapters

The 'Art of War' described by Sun Tzu consists of 13 chapters. Their order and titles are as follows:

1. Laying Plans (Kei)
– Basic principles of war and strategy
2. Waging War (Sakusen) – Military operations and strategic planning
3. Attack by Stratagem (Boukou) – How to win without fighting, the importance of strategy
4. Tactical Dispositions (Gunkei) – Military structure, positioning, and defense
5. Energy (Heisei) – Concentration and utilization of force
6. Weak Points and Strong (Kyojitsu) – Tactics using real strength and deception
7. Maneuvering (Gun-sou) – How to gain an advantage on the battlefield
8. Variation in Tactics (Kyuhen) – Responding to changing situations
9. The Army on the March (Kougun) – Movement of troops and use of terrain
10. Terrain (Chikei) – Strategy and tactics based on terrain
11. The Nine Situations (Kyuuchi) – Types of battlefields and application of strategy
12. The Attack by Fire (Kakou) – Tactics for attacking with fire
13. The Use of Spies (Youkan) – Utilization of information and intelligence (spies)

Important points consistently preached by Sun Tzu

1. Winning without fighting is the best
   Instead of a frontal breakthrough, decide victory or defeat through information, diplomacy, and psychology.
   

2. Know the enemy, know yourself
   Accurately grasp the strengths and weaknesses of both the opponent and yourself.

   • Famous quote: 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles'
     

3. Warfare is about speed and flexibility
   Situations are always changing. Fixed ideas become the cause of defeat.
   

4. Emphasis on information warfare
   Accurate information determines the quality of decisions.
   

5. Avoid unnecessary attrition
   Long-term warfare will inevitably distort judgment.

Next time, [Episode 2]
Why did Sun Tzu place 'Calculation' (Kei) first?
~The reason why playing it by ear always leads to defeat~

Why Sun Tzu placed 'Calculation' first
We will look at that from there.

Table of Contents for The Art of War Series *You can check all episodes up to the latest article