Military Thought in Early China

Häftad, Engelska, 2018

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Provides a systematic and comprehensive survey of writings on military philosophy in early China.This study of the philosophy of war in early China examines the recurring debate, from antiquity through the Western Han period (202 BCE–8 CE), about how to achieve a proper balance between martial (wu) force and civil (wen) governance in the pursuit of a peaceful state. Rather than focusing solely on Sunzi's Art of War and other military treatises from the Warring States era (ca. 475–221 BCE), Christopher C. Rand analyzes the evolution of this debate by examining a broad corpus of early Han and pre-Han texts, including works uncovered in archeological excavations during recent decades. What emerges is a framework for understanding early China's military philosophy as an ongoing negotiation between three major alternatives: militarism, compartmentalism, and syncretism. Military Thought in Early China offers a look into China's historical experience with a perennial issue that is not only of continuing relevance to modern-day China but also pertinent to other world states seeking to sustain strong and harmonious societies.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2018-01-02
Mått152 x 229 x 18 mm
Vikt386 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor242
FörlagState University of New York Press
ISBN9781438465166

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PrefacePrologue1. The Emergence of the Wen/Wu ProblemThe Achievement of BalanceThe Western Zhou SolutionEvolution in Chunqiu TimesNew Solutions in the Zhanguo EraMilitarism Compartmentalism Syncretism Conclusion2. The Metaphysics of GeneralshipThe General as SagePsychical PowerMetaphysical DynamicsThe Ultimate BattleConclusion3. The Practical and Meta-PracticalOrganizational ModelsTraining and AdministrationMilitary LawWar PreparednessIntelligence MeasuresCollection and Analysis Deception and Covert Action Views of Military Thinkers Conclusion4. The Moral Dimension of WarLaoziKongziYanziMengziXunziMoziSongziMilitary ThinkersConclusion5. The Permutations of Western HanRealignment of SolutionsWen/wu and Foreign PolicyA Double ParadoxEffects of Social and Institutional ChangesConclusionEpilogueNotesBibliographyIndex

"Rand's study is wide-ranging, deeply researched, systematic, and clear. It will no doubt encourage further work on military texts as contributions to intellectual history." — Journal of Chinese Military History"Initially written as a PhD dissertation in 1977, after a 40-year career in government Christopher Rand revised his original work to incorporate new insights from research and discoveries during the intervening years. The result is impressive … This book is a very welcome addition to the study of early Chinese military thought and Rand's perspective will provide even established scholars with a fresh perspective on the topic." — China Review International"With its close engagement with and nuanced interpretation of a truly impressive range of sources, this book illuminates a field that gets too little serious attention." — Charles Sanft, author of Communication and Cooperation in Early Imperial China: Publicizing the Qin Dynasty