| The Dao of the Military: Liu An's Art of War Contributor(s): Meyer, Andrew Seth (Translator), Major, John (Foreword by) |
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ISBN: 0231153333 ISBN-13: 9780231153331 Publisher: Columbia University Press OUR PRICE: $24.75 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 2012 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Philosophy | Taoist - History | Military - Strategy - Technology & Engineering | Military Science |
| Dewey: 355.02 |
| LCCN: 2011047621 |
| Series: Translations from the Asian Classics (Paperback) |
| Physical Information: 0.5" H x 5.4" W x 8.1" (0.55 lbs) 176 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Chinese - Religious Orientation - Taoism - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Master Sun's The Art of War is by no means the only ancient Chinese treatise on military affairs. One chapter in the Huainanzi, an important compendium of philosophy and political theory written in the second century BCE, synthesizes the entire corpus of military literature inherited from the Chinese classical era. Drawing on all major, existing military writings, as well as other lost sources, it assesses tactics and strategy, logistics, organization, and political economy, as well as cosmology and the fundamental morality of warfare. This powerful work set out to become the last word on military matters, subsuming and replacing all preceding literature. Written under the sponsorship of Liu An, king of Huainan, the Huainanzi's "military methods" emphasize the preservation of peace as the ultimate value to be served by the military, insisting that the army can be effectively and rightly used only when defending the sacred hereditary position of the emperor and his vassals. This position stands in stark contrast to that of The Art of War, which prioritizes the enrichment and empowerment of the state. Liu An's philosophy also argues that military success depends on the personal cultivation of the commander and that deception is not enough to secure victory. Only a commander with the exceptional qualities of insight and cognition, developed through a program of meditative practice and yogic refinement, can effectively control and interpret the strategic situation. Andrew Seth Meyer offers both a full translation of this text and an extensive analysis of its historical context. His thorough treatment relates Liu An's teachings to issues in Chinese philosophy, culture, religion, and history, helping to interpret their uncommon message. |
Contributor Bio(s): Major, John: - John S. Major (PhD, Harvard) currently holds an appointment as Senior Lecturer at the China Institute in New York and is a a member of the Columbia University Faculty Seminar on Early China. His publications include Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought (State University of New York Press 1993), The Essential Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory of Practice of Government in Early Han China (Columbia University Press, 2010), and Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn, a translation of the Chunqiu fanlu, with Sarah A. Queen (Columbia University Press, 2015). |