生平

孫武年輕時閱讀古代軍事典籍《軍志》，了解黃帝戰勝四帝的作戰經驗以及古代名相伊尹、姜尚、管仲的用兵策略，出仕吳國。

著書立說

孫武到達吳國後，便隱居於姑蘇（今江蘇蘇州）城郊的穹窿山，以務農為業，並在此時著成了《孫子兵法》。

嶄露頭角

公元前515年，孫武向伍子胥獻計，請闔閭刺殺吳王僚，進而讓闔閭即位吳王，公元前512年，伍子胥請退位之吳王伯父推薦人才，其薦孫武，並獻上其所著《孫子兵法》十三篇。吳王閱後大為賞識，親自訪山拜請孫武出山，但卻因為奸臣伯嚭道：孫武只是一介草民，故似，吳王對其能力半信半疑，因此便要孫武即場展現其練兵之法以服眾，以確孫武之才能。

吳宮教戰

《史記·孫子吳起列傳》中記載，吳王故意考驗孫武，挑選了180名宮女接受孫武訓練，並由兩名愛妃負責卒長之職。剛開始，縱使孫武三令五申表明軍令如山，眾宮女皆不理孫武的號令，兩名愛妃作為卒長更大笑，於是孫武將卒長斬首，即便吳王阻止，孫武亦不理會。眾宮女立即變得嚴肅起來，對軍令絕對依從。吳王見愛妃被殺，非常生氣，當下欲斬孫武，但為伍子胥所勸阻，吳王拜孫武為最高統帥。

大破楚軍

公元前512年，孫武剛任將軍便幫助吳王闔閭消滅楚國的兩個保護國鐘吾國及徐國，吳王想乘勝進攻楚國，但孫武制止，認為吳軍已疲憊，不宜再戰，於是吳王引兵回國。不久，伍子胥提出「疲楚誤楚」之略，輪番騷擾楚國達六年，使楚軍認為吳國只敢騷擾，不敢進攻，放鬆了警惕。

公元前506年，楚國進犯吳國的保護國蔡國，蔡國求救於吳，唐國也憤怒於楚國的蠻橫，幫助吳國進攻楚國。吳王傾國之力，闔閭親率其弟夫概、伍子胥、孫武和伯嚭等統率3萬吳軍奇襲楚國。孫武認為兵貴神速，所以率領3500精兵採取迂迴戰略，避實擊虛，在蔡、唐兩國協助下，奪下了楚國北部三個險隘，進抵漢水東岸。

此時楚昭王大驚，派出囊瓦、沈尹戍等人率兵抵抗吳軍。沈尹戍建議主將囊瓦率主力拖延吳軍，自己率兵往方城迂迴至吳軍側後，截其退路，封鎖三個險隘，再前後夾擊吳軍，消滅他們，本來這條計策可以成功打敗吳軍，拯救危急的楚國，但囊瓦受到部下挑撥慫恿，貪功下在沈尹戍往方城後改變策略，渡過漢水，不等沈尹戍包抄吳軍側後，就發動攻擊。孫武見其渡過漢水攻擊，佯裝後退，退到大別山，楚軍在吳軍後退時連戰數場，皆敗，楚軍士氣不斷下降，疲憊不堪。

孫武見楚軍陷於被動，於柏舉與楚軍決戰，闔閭之弟夫概進諫:「囊瓦不受楚人支持，楚軍必不願死戰到底，不如先以小部隊進攻，使楚軍潰亂，再投入主力攻擊，必定大勝。」但闔閭謹慎，不敢用此計，夫概就私下領五千士兵進攻楚軍，楚軍果然潰亂，闔閭就投入主力攻擊，楚軍潰敗，囊瓦逃奔鄭國。吳軍發動戰略追擊，於柏舉西南的清發水重創楚軍殘部。再追，於雍澨再大破囊瓦軍殘部。吳軍再與由方城回救的沈尹戍部隊交戰，激烈戰鬥後楚軍大敗，沈尹戍傷重而死。其後吳軍於麥城之戰再大敗楚軍，至此吳軍五戰五勝，成功消滅楚國，吳軍於柏舉之戰十日後攻陷郢都。吳軍攻陷郢都後屠城，楚國軍民死傷十萬以上，楚昭王逃奔至隨國。孫武以3萬吳軍大敗20萬楚軍，攻滅了強楚，於是一戰成名，震驚中原諸國。

其後楚大夫申包胥求救於秦，秦哀公派出500乘兵車攻打吳軍，秦楚聯軍擊敗吳軍，吳國本土又發生內亂，吳軍就被逼返回吳國，楚國才免於滅國之難。

助吳稱霸

吳國後來因秦國幹預及越國偷襲，被逼自楚國撤軍，但是已使楚國元氣大傷，不能威脅吳國。公元前496年，吳王闔閭不聽孫武勸阻，出兵攻打新即位的越王勾踐，結果被其大敗，傷重而死。孫武及伍子胥幫助闔閭之子夫差治國練兵，並助夫差成功大敗勾踐，報仇雪恨。而其後夫差北上稱霸，於黃池大會諸侯，亦是因為孫武令士兵訓練有素的成果。

晚年境遇

公元前482年，因夫差在稱霸後變得日益專橫，孫武遂回齊國專注編撰兵法。《越絕書》載：「巫門外大塚，吳王客齊孫武塚也，去縣十裏。善為兵法。」《吳越春秋·夫差內傳》載：「臣觀吳王，為數戰伐，士卒不息，大臣內引(引退)，讒人益眾。」

孫武欲與伍子胥一同退隱，但伍子胥並未答應，直到死前一刻才後悔沒同孫武離開。

公元前473年吳亡，孫武回姑蘇（即今江蘇蘇州），前470年于此地逝世。《漢書·刑法志》則說孫武是被誅戮。不過，孫武被「誅戮」之說始見於《漢書·刑法志》。《史記》本傳既沒有記載，《漢書》也未言其原委和出處，故這個說法還可存疑。蘇州相城區現有孫武紀念園可以參觀。

子孫軼事

相傳孫武有三位兒子，分別名為孫馳、孫明、孫敵。

孫武長子孫馳在柏舉之戰的戰役中捐軀陣亡。

孫武次子孫明被吳王封為富春侯，是為富春孫氏之始祖。

相傳孫臏是孫武五世孫。東漢末年名將孫堅宣稱是富春孫氏後裔。

爭議

孫武其人與著作已無法考證，《左傳》和《國語》均未提到孫武本人。

《左傳》詳細記載了吳國攻破郢都之戰，卻只提到伍子胥，沒有提到孫武，更有學者以為孫武與孫臏是同一人，武其名，而臏是其綽號。南宋人葉適，近代錢穆認為不存在孫武其人。清朝牟庭認為孫子就是伍子胥。司馬遷的《史記》最早為孫武立傳，葉適在《習學記言》卷四六中認為所記孫武事跡亦近乎傳說，其事「奇險不足信」，而且《史記》成書上距孫武年代亦三百年之遙。

一說孫武是春秋末年齊國人。

相關影視作品

• 《孫武》（孫彥軍主演）

• 《孫子兵法》（鄭則士主演）

• 《孫子》（師小紅主演）

• 《兵聖》（朱亞文主演）

• 《孫子大傳》（張豐毅主演）

相關連結

• 孫子兵法

• 卡爾·馮·克勞塞維茲

• 戰爭論

Life

The oldest available sources disagree as to where Sun Tzu was born. The Spring and Autumn Annals and Sima Qian's later Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) state that Sun Tzu was born in Qi. Both sources also agree that Sun Tzu was born in the late Spring and Autumn period and that he was active as a general and strategist, serving King Helü of Wu in the late sixth century BC, beginning around 512 BC. Sun Tzu's victories then inspired him to write The Art of War. The Art of War was one of the most widely read military treatises in the subsequent Warring States period, a time of constant war among seven ancient Chinese states Zhao, Qi, Qin, Chu, Han, Wei, and Yan who fought to control the vast expanse of fertile territory in Eastern China.

One of the better-known stories about Sun Tzu, taken from Sima Qian, illustrates Sun Tzu's temperament as follows: Before hiring Sun Tzu, the King of Wu tested Sun Tzu's skills by commanding him to train a harem of 180 concubines into soldiers. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders. When Sun Tzu first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled. In response, Sun Tzu said that the general, in this case himself, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, he reiterated the command, and again the concubines giggled. Sun Tzu then ordered the execution of the king's two favored concubines, to the king's protests. He explained that if the general's soldiers understood their commands but did not obey, it was the fault of the officers. Sun Tzu also said that, once a general was appointed, it was his duty to carry out his mission, even if the king protested. After both concubines were killed, new officers were chosen to replace them. Afterward, both companies, now well aware of the costs of further frivolity, performed their maneuvers flawlessly.

Sima Qian claimed that Sun Tzu later proved on the battlefield that his theories were effective (for example, at the Battle of Boju), that he had a successful military career, and that he wrote The Art of War based on his tested expertise. However, the Zuozhuan, a historical text is written centuries earlier than the Shiji, provides a much more detailed account of the Battle of Boju, but does not mention Sun Tzu at all.

Historicity

Around the 12th century AD, some Chinese scholars began to doubt the historical existence of Sun Tzu, primarily on the grounds that he is not mentioned in the historical classic Zuo zhuan, which mentions most of the notable figures from the Spring and Autumn period. The name "Sun Wu" does not appear in any text prior to the Records of the Grand Historian, and may have been a made-up descriptive cognomen meaning "the fugitive warrior"the surname "Sun" can be glossed as the related term "fugitive" (xùn ), while "Wu" is the ancient Chinese virtue of "martial, valiant" (wǔ ), which corresponds to Sun Tzu's role as the hero's doppelgänger in the story of Wu Zixu. The only historical battle attributed to Sun Tzu, the Battle of Boju, has no record of him fighting in that battle.

Skeptics cite possible historical inaccuracies and anachronisms in the text, and that the book was actually a compilation from different authors and military strategists. Attribution of the authorship of The Art of War varies among scholars and has included people and movements including Sun; Chu scholar Wu Zixu; an anonymous author; a school of theorists in Qi or Wu; Sun Bin; and others. Sun Bin appears to have been an actual person who was a genuine authority on military matters, and may have been the inspiration for the creation of the historical figure "Sun Tzu" through a form of euhemerism. The name Sun Wu does appear in later sources such as the Shiji and the Wu Yue Chunqiu, but were written centuries after Sun Tzu's era.

The use of the strips in other works however, such as The Methods of the Sima is considered proof of Sun Tzu's historical priority. According to Ralph Sawyer, it is very likely Sun Tzu did exist and not only served as a general but also wrote the core of the book that bears his name. It is argued that there is a disparity between the large-scale wars and sophisticated techniques detailed in the text and the more primitive small-scale battles that many believe predominated in China during the 6th century BC. Against this, Sawyer argues that the teachings of Sun Wu were probably taught to succeeding generations in his family or a small school of disciples, which eventually included Sun Bin. These descendants or students may have revised or expanded upon certain points in the original text.

Skeptics who identify issues with the traditionalist view point to possible anachronisms in The Art of War including terms, technology (such as anachronistic crossbows and the unmentioned cavalry), philosophical ideas, events, and military techniques that should not have been available to Sun Wu. Additionally, there are no records of professional generals during the Spring and Autumn period; these are only extant from the Warring States period, so there is doubt as to Sun Tzu's rank and generalship. This caused much confusion as to when The Art of War was actually written. The first traditional view is that it was written in 512 BC by the historical Sun Wu, active in the last years of the Spring and Autumn period (c. 722–481 BC). A second view, held by scholars such as Samuel Griffith, places The Art of War during the middle to late Warring States period (c. 481–221 BC). Finally, a third school claims that the slips were published in the last half of the 5th century BC; this is based on how its adherents interpret the bamboo slips discovered at Yinque Shan in 1972 AD.

The Art of War

The Art of War is traditionally ascribed to Sun Tzu. It presents a philosophy of war for managing conflicts and winning battles. It is accepted as a masterpiece on strategy and has been frequently cited and referred to by generals and theorists since it was first published, translated, and distributed internationally.

There are numerous theories concerning when the text was completed and concerning the identity of the author or authors, but archeological recoveries show The Art of War had taken roughly its current form by at least the early Han. Because it is impossible to prove definitively when the Art of War was completed before this date, the differing theories concerning the work's author or authors and date of completion are unlikely to be completely resolved. Some modern scholars believe that it contains not only the thoughts of its original author but also commentary and clarifications from later military theorists, such as Li Quan and Du Mu.

Of the military texts written before the unification of China and Shi Huangdi's subsequent book burning in the second century BC, six major works have survived. During the much later Song dynasty, these six works were combined with a Tang text into a collection called the Seven Military Classics. As a central part of that compilation, The Art of War formed the foundations of orthodox military theory in early modern China. Illustrating this point, the book was required reading to pass the tests for imperial appointment to military positions.

Sun Tzu's The Art of War uses language that may be unusual in a Western text on warfare and strategy. For example, the eleventh chapter states that a leader must be "serene and inscrutable" and capable of comprehending "unfathomable plans". The text contains many similar remarks that have long confused Western readers lacking an awareness of the East Asian context. The meanings of such statements are clearer when interpreted in the context of Taoist thought and practice. Sun Tzu viewed the ideal general as an enlightened Taoist master, which has led to The Art of War being considered a prime example of Taoist strategy.

The book has also become popular among political leaders and those in business management. Despite its title, The Art of War addresses strategy in a broad fashion, touching upon public administration and planning. The text outlines theories of battle, but also advocates diplomacy and the cultivation of relationships with other nations as essential to the health of a state.

On 10 April 1972, the Yinqueshan Han Tombs were accidentally unearthed by construction workers in Shandong. Scholars uncovered a collection of ancient texts written on unusually well-preserved bamboo slips. Among them were The Art of War and Sun Bin's Military Methods. Although Han dynasty bibliographies noted the latter publication as extant and written by a descendant of Sun, it had previously been lost. The rediscovery of Sun Bin's work is regarded as extremely important by scholars, both because of Sun Bin's relationship to Sun Tzu and because of the work's addition to the body of military thought in Chinese late antiquity. The discovery as a whole significantly expanded the body of surviving Warring States military theory. Sun Bin's treatise is the only known military text surviving from the Warring States period discovered in the twentieth century and bears the closest similarity to The Art of War of all surviving texts.

Legacy

Sun Tzu's Art of War has influenced many notable figures. The Chinese historian Sima Qian recounted that China's first historical emperor, Qin's Shi Huangdi, considered the book invaluable in ending the time of the Warring States. In the 20th century, the Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong partially credited his 1949 victory over Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang to The Art of War. The work strongly influenced Mao's writings about guerrilla warfare, which further influenced communist insurgencies around the world.

The Art of War was introduced into Japan and the book quickly became popular among Japanese generals. Through its later influence on Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, it significantly affected the unification of Japan in the early modern era. Before the Meiji Restoration, mastery of its teachings was honored among the samurai and its teachings were both exhorted and exemplified by influential daimyōs and shōguns. It remained popular among the Imperial Japanese armed forces. The Admiral of the Fleet Tōgō Heihachirō, who led Japan's forces to victory in the Russo-Japanese War, was an avid reader of Sun Tzu.

Ho Chi Minh translated the work for his Vietnamese officers to study. His general Võ Nguyên Giáp, the strategist behind victories over French and American forces in Vietnam, was likewise an avid student and practitioner of Sun Tzu's ideas.

America's Asian conflicts against Japan, North Korea, and North Vietnam brought Sun Tzu to the attention of American military leaders. The Department of the Army in the United States, through its Command and General Staff College, has directed all units to maintain libraries within their respective headquarters for the continuing education of personnel in the art of war. The Art of War is mentioned as an example of works to be maintained at each facility, and staff duty officers are obliged to prepare short papers for presentation to other officers on their readings. Similarly, Sun Tzu's Art of War is listed on the Marine Corps Professional Reading Program. During the Gulf War in the 1990s, both Generals Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and Colin Powell employed principles from Sun Tzu related to deception, speed, and striking one's enemy's weak points. However, the United States and other Western countries have been criticised for not truly understanding Sun Tzu's work and not appreciating The Art of War within the wider context of Chinese society.

In the 1987 film Wall Street, the protagonist Gordon Gekko frequently cites passages from The Art of War as guiding principles for his aggressive trading techniques.

Daoist rhetoric is a component incorporated in the Art of War. According to Steven C. Combs in "Sun-zi and the Art of War: The Rhetoric of Parsimony", warfare is "used as a metaphor for rhetoric, and that both are philosophically based arts." Combs writes "Warfare is analogous to persuasion, as a battle for hearts and minds." The application of The Art of War strategies throughout history is attributed to its philosophical rhetoric. Daoism is the central principle in the Art of War. Combs compares ancient Daoist Chinese to traditional Aristotelian rhetoric, notably for the differences in persuasion. Daoist rhetoric in the art of war warfare strategies is described as "peaceful and passive, favoring silence over speech". This form of communication is parsimonious. Parsimonious behavior, which is highly emphasized in The Art of War as avoiding confrontation and being spiritual in nature, shapes basic principles in Daoism.

Mark McNeilly writes in Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare that a modern interpretation of Sun and his importance throughout Chinese history is critical in understanding China's push to becoming a superpower in the twenty-first century. Modern Chinese scholars explicitly rely on historical strategic lessons and The Art of War in developing their theories, seeing a direct relationship between their modern struggles and those of China in Sun Tzu's time. There is a great perceived value in Sun Tzu's teachings and other traditional Chinese writers, which are used regularly in developing the strategies of the Chinese state and its leaders.

In 2008, the Chinese television producer Zhang Jizhong adapted Sun Tzu's life story into a 40-episode historical drama television series entitled Bing Sheng, starring Zhu Yawen as Sun Tzu.

The video game Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition contains challenge missions based on Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', which explains the military tactics and strategies.

In the animated television series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero's'', story arc, "Arise, Serpentor, Arise," Cobra Command under Dr. Mindbender's direction gathers the genetic material from the remains of important historical military leaders in order to create a composite clone for their new Emperor, Serpentor. In this project, a vital component is the genetic essence of Sun Tzu to emulate his strategic brilliance. When the G.I. Joe Special Missions force manages to thwart that acquisition, the absence of that military philosopher's steadying influence leads to Serpentor becoming overly emotional and recklessly foolhardy in his command.