Sun-Tzu Preaches

Lao-Tzu’s stand on war is not what one might expect; he believes that peace has more power than war and that all men with a good set of morals look down upon the men who seek to fight. Along with war being an unnecessary product of compromise, Lao-Tzu view’s weapons as a disgrace as well; this idea is shown on page 209 when he adds, “Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them.” He later then states, “There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy,” (page 210). Lao-Tzu detests war and sees it as a shame to even take part of the hate that is involved with fighting. On the other hand, Machiavelli suggests that it is fit for a leader to show close to perfect fighting techniques on and off the battlefield. War is shown as a lesson of fortitude for leaders during his time, Machiavelli explains, “Its institution, and its discipline; because that is the only profession which befits one who commands; and it is of such importance,” (page 221). He later discusses, on page 222, how a leader must train in his free time to prepare and become the most powerful fighter of all the men by mentioning, “and in peacetime he must train himself more than in time of war; this can be done in two ways: one by action, the other by the mind.” One can conclude that Machiavelli defines a strong leader through both psychological warfare and hand to hand combat. He also sees war as a learning curve for the men who wish to become a leader; Machiavelli’s understanding off a strong leader

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on”.

Lao-tzu and Machiavelli both have very different views on the subject and its importance. Machiavelli believes that war is crucial to the well being of a society and should be exercised for constantly. This is shown when he writes, “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war” (Machiavelli 221). Lao-tzu, however, believes that war is wrong and should not be used unless absolutely necessary. He speaks of weapons being violent tools and that all decent and well-rounded men should detest them.

Refraining from absolute negativity about Lao-Tzu’s work, the Tao does have many redeemable qualities. The emphasis Lao-Tzu places on the attainment of individual happiness is extremely honorable, however this doesn’t detract from the ineffectiveness Lao-Tzu encounters, as he is unable to come to well-grounded conclusion on the means for effective leadership. His advice to politicians is to only interfere when it is an absolute necessity; yet he takes this to a radical extreme advising leaders to pretty much do nothing. His ideas are taken to an extent where if human nature falters, which it

In “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching,” Lao-Tzu illustrates the optimal way in which a ruler should lead their country in conformity with the Tao. Lao-Tzu points out that a nation’s government should put in place the slightest governance in the lives of its people, because the good in people will come naturally when the people disregard their efforts to seek these ethics. Finally, Lao-Tzu also encourages that a leader be modest and tolerant by truly taking interest in the civilians needs and concentrating on his home land instead of seeking issues with other worldly places.

Anywhere you go, there will be a community ruled by a leader. The qualities of leaders play a vital role in the success or failure of a society; if these qualities are effective, it allows the country to be successful and the ruler’s to fulfill the country’s needs. However, the absence of effective leadership qualities result in severe effects towards the country. When comparing the thoughts of Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli, it becomes obvious these two authors have different beliefs on how to be an effective leader. Machiavelli was a historian in Italy, a diplomat, a philosopher, a politician, and a writer during the era of the Renaissance. Lao-Tzu, during the 6th century, was an ancient Chinese philosopher. These two authors approach at almost entirely different positions. For this reason, it is a natural progression to collocate the two in an effort to better understand the qualities a leader should possess. To prove their philosophies, Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli have sought to reach a more complete understanding of each other’s thoughts on the subjects of war and weapons, qualities of leaders and the people, and how to govern.

(Smith 196-99; Tao Je Ding scripture) Explain the life and characteristics of Lao Tzu. How does the enigmatic character of Lao Tzu’s biography also reflect the enigmatic (in other words: mysterious, paradoxical) character of the Tao Je Ding? Give one or more specific example from this scriptural text citing the specific chapter.

According to Machiavelli, war should be a profession of a prince. He suggested a prince to think about arms than personal luxuries, and he said being disarmed would make him to be despised. However, Lao Tzu said, 'Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself'. He suggested a leader not to force anyone because the outcome will result in revenge. He believed that if a person does not harm others, they will not harm the person as well. Furthermore, they had different ideas of preparing war. Machiavelli encouraged a prince to train himself in peace time more than in time of war, and Lao Tzu said, 'No greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself'. It is evident that Machiavelli emphasized on preparing war all the time, but Lao Tzu did not even mention about preparing

It is vital to attempt to take alternate routes before deciding such a drastic measure as conflict. Doing so will save lives, supplies, and figuratively speaking, morale of the country as a whole. Even so, the natures of war can happen without it being existing, such as feelings of hostility or lack of peace. Just like a human's emotions and temperament, war's nature can be quick, ruthless, and detrimental to one's goals, if no military strategy or planning is put in place to secure victory. But no matter how much planning and precision goes into effect, it is not possible to avoid one main factor of war's nature; chance. It can affect all levels of combat and can be unpredictable in most situations. The leader's ability to adapt to new problems and quick thinking can save a strategy that's been eradicated due to chance or surprise, greatly reducing the likelihood of loss of troops or

How should leaders approach the ideas of peace and war? This question has fascinated those in positions of power for ages. Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu believes that war should only take place in the direst of situations and should not be considered virtuous (61; sec. 31). On the contrary, Niccolo Machiavelli, a fifteenth-century Italian philosopher, states, “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war…” (86). While Lao-Tzu formulates an ideal approach to war and Machiavelli a practical one, neither one of their strategies would be effective in the real world; leaders must conduct their military with a balance of serenity and brutality.

The story explains the basic rules of war and how to have the upper hand on an opponent. Sun Tzu is a genius. This is due to his guidelines of war being the foundation for war today. However, these were not his intentions. Sun Tzu wrote the book only for his people and to help put them above others.

Who is Lao Tzu? What is the purpose of Tao Te Ching? Why did Lao Tzu write Tao Te Ching? “Lao Tzu was a Chinese philosopher credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism…He is thought to have lived in the 6th century BEC” (Mark). Lao Tzu’s philosophy of non-action has a great impact on future generations, because it can make the country become peaceful. Tao Te Ching was primarily writing to the rulers and the emperors of that time, he wants all the countries and subsidiary countries in China can coexist together peacefully, hoping that there will be no more wars. The poetic style of Tao Te Ching makes it universal, because it teaches people how to think and to behave well in an manner that can be acceptable and understandable

Have you ever think that managing a country is like cooking a little fish. In Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu states that “Governing a large country is like frying a small fish”. Lao-tzu is a famous philosopher in the history of China. He is the founder of Taoism and the author of Tao Te Ching. Lao-tzu was a high official of the Chinese empire, who left his work and his country in dismay due to the Chou royal’s decline and his philosophy.

Through comparing different translations of the same texts one can get an idea of the meanings for the Chinese words used by Chuang Tzu in his work. In comparison to the English language the difference in the translations of the text gives the impression that the Chinese words used are much broader terms and must be simplified before we can describe them in English. This paper will assess the second section of the Chuang Tzu, specifically Discussion on making all things equal translated by Burton Watson.[1]

Another significant lesson on warfare and leadership put forth by Sun Tzu was having the ability to conquer areas with no fighting at all. This lesson also involved the ability to absorb and expand within an area instead of total domination and annihilation. Sun Tzu mentioned, “In the practical art of