Warfare ethics in Sunzi's art of war? Historical controversies and contemporary perspectives

Ping Cheung Lo

Warfare ethics in Sunzi's art of war? Historical controversies and contemporary perspectives

Ping Cheung Lo^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Contemporary English and Chinese scholars alike have interpreted Sunzi's Art of War as advocating amoralism in warfare. That charge has a long history in pre-modern China and has not been fully refuted. This essay argues that the alleged amoral Machiavellianism is more appropriate for ancient Qin military thought than for Sunzi. The third chapter of Sunzi's treatise contains a distinctive moral perspective that cannot be found in the military thought of the state of Qin, which succeeded in defeating all other states in the Period of the Warring States. Such a moral perspective contains both ad bellum and in bello norms. I submit that my interpretation of Sunzi's warfare ethics can provide an important resource for the People's Liberation Army of China to construct full-scale just war ethics that is similar to Western understandings.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Chinese just war ethics: Origin, development, and dissent
Publisher	Taylor and Francis
Pages	66-89
Number of pages	24
ISBN (Electronic)	9781315740706
ISBN (Print)	9781138824355
Publication status	Published - 2015

Publication series

Name	War, conflict and ethics
Publisher	Taylor & Francis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

User-Defined Keywords

amoral realism
Art of War
Clausewitz
Henry Sidgwick
last resort
Machiavellianism
Michael I. Handel
Michael Walzer
People's Liberation Army (PLA)
proportionality
Shang Yang
Sunzi (Sun Tzu)

Cite this

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abstract = "Contemporary English and Chinese scholars alike have interpreted Sunzi's Art of War as advocating amoralism in warfare. That charge has a long history in pre-modern China and has not been fully refuted. This essay argues that the alleged amoral Machiavellianism is more appropriate for ancient Qin military thought than for Sunzi. The third chapter of Sunzi's treatise contains a distinctive moral perspective that cannot be found in the military thought of the state of Qin, which succeeded in defeating all other states in the Period of the Warring States. Such a moral perspective contains both ad bellum and in bello norms. I submit that my interpretation of Sunzi's warfare ethics can provide an important resource for the People's Liberation Army of China to construct full-scale just war ethics that is similar to Western understandings. ",

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T1 - Warfare ethics in Sunzi's art of war? Historical controversies and contemporary perspectives

AU - Lo, Ping Cheung

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

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AB - Contemporary English and Chinese scholars alike have interpreted Sunzi's Art of War as advocating amoralism in warfare. That charge has a long history in pre-modern China and has not been fully refuted. This essay argues that the alleged amoral Machiavellianism is more appropriate for ancient Qin military thought than for Sunzi. The third chapter of Sunzi's treatise contains a distinctive moral perspective that cannot be found in the military thought of the state of Qin, which succeeded in defeating all other states in the Period of the Warring States. Such a moral perspective contains both ad bellum and in bello norms. I submit that my interpretation of Sunzi's warfare ethics can provide an important resource for the People's Liberation Army of China to construct full-scale just war ethics that is similar to Western understandings.

KW - amoral realism

KW - Art of War

KW - Clausewitz

KW - Henry Sidgwick

KW - last resort

KW - Machiavellianism

KW - Michael I. Handel

KW - Michael Walzer

KW - People's Liberation Army (PLA)

KW - proportionality

KW - Shang Yang

KW - Sunzi (Sun Tzu)

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9781138824355

T3 - War, conflict and ethics

SP - 66

EP - 89

BT - Chinese just war ethics: Origin, development, and dissent

PB - Taylor and Francis

ER -

Warfare ethics in Sunzi's art of war? Historical controversies and contemporary perspectives

Abstract

Publication series

UN SDGs

User-Defined Keywords

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