Sun Tzu

Who is Sun Tzu?

Sun Tzu (Sun Wu, honorific Sunzi) was a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher who lived during the Eastern Zhou period. He is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War (Sunzi Bingfa), an influential treatise on military strategy and tactics. According to tradition and Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, he served the state of Wu under King Helü. The Art of War consists of thirteen chapters, each addressing a distinct aspect of warfare, from planning and deception to terrain and the use of intelligence. Its central themes emphasize winning through strategy, adaptability, and knowledge of oneself and the enemy rather than brute force. Beyond the battlefield, the work has profoundly influenced military thinking worldwide and has been widely applied to business, law, sports, and diplomacy in the modern era.

Sources: Sun Tzu, The Art of War (Sunzi Bingfa), circa 5th century BCE · Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), biography of Sun Wu, circa 91 BCE