Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of moral influence in evaluating the impacts of war.
Sun Tzu highlights that when assessing the consequences and ethics of war, one must consider the moral implications that shape its context. This perspective suggests that wars are not just about strategies and outcomes, but also the ethical considerations that guide actions and decisions in warfare.
Themes
WarMoral InfluenceStrategyEthicsEvaluation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a debate about the ethical implications of military interventions.
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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
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The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
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You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
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If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
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