Military strategist

I disagree with most of the comments dismissing older theory as irrelevant today. Many of the teachings of Sun Tzu are entirely relevant still and will remain so in the future. They can even be applied to fantasy gaming. Examples:









Is the suggestion that these lessons from Sun Tzu are no longer relevant?
But the whole book isn't that usefull. With at least half of the book being useless, there would be made a better variant that is more relevant. Why read a bad version when you can read "remaster".
It is not like Sun Tzu can complain about author rights or something, nor would somebody care.
Both EDA and Chosen value efficiency, so there is no reason they wouldn't create a better book instead of wasting some time on an old one.
 
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. There are legitimate and relevant theories in much military history literature. Whether the whole book is useful or not is irrelevant. Many of the teachings will still apply in 2700+
 
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. There are legitimate and relevant theories in much military history literature. Whether the whole book is useful or not is irrelevant. Many of the teachings will still apply in 2700+
Yes, but those teachings won't be read from an old book in between lot of useless stuff. They would be put in proper modern book for new recruiters to study from. Take out everything ysefull from old book and put in a new one in between other usefull and relevant stuff.

Nobody studies chemistry or physics from often even 20-30 year old books. Not talking about books that are hundreds of years old. All the people are taught on more modern and advanced books
 
I disagree with most of the comments dismissing older theory as irrelevant today. Many of the teachings of Sun Tzu are entirely relevant still and will remain so in the future. They can even be applied to fantasy gaming. Examples:









Is the suggestion that these lessons from Sun Tzu are no longer relevant?
I completely agree - the principals of Sun Tzu, and others, such as Clausewitz, are equally applicable today, as they were then, and will be, thousands of years into the future - ignore them at your own peril - as many in history have done - and become a fine footnote is the record. If you examine every historical victory - you will see these principals clearly at work.
 
I completely agree - the principals of Sun Tzu, and others, such as Clausewitz, are equally applicable today, as they were then, and will be, thousands of years into the future - ignore them at your own peril - as many in history have done - and become a fine footnote is the record. If you examine every historical victory - you will see these principals clearly at work.
How many of them are applicable today out of entire book? That is the point I am trying to say. Nobody is gonna read a book that is half useless. People would be reading a book that is more modern, while keeping the relevant points of old strategiests
 
How many of them are applicable today out of entire book? That is the point I am trying to say. Nobody is gonna read a book that is half useless. People would be reading a book that is more modern, while keeping the relevant points of old strategiests
People still read the bible....
 
People still read the bible....
And it was changed few times, wasn't it?

Also personally I would not count it, since it is not a scientific text that is based on experience and actually data that can become irrelevant. Religious texts and religion itself is a very tricky thing to include as a point in such a conversation in my opinion.
 
The principles found in The Art of War were gleaned from experience, observation, and reflection upon large amounts of witness observations, not just 'theorized'. Technically, as we understand it, it is the summation of several authors, and while it's certainly got an ancient viewpoint, and an Eastern perspective, the concepts in it are as sound now - as they were then. Look, it's not going to give you detailed instructions about specific methods or weaponry, but it's general perspective will give you a solid AND complete framework for success on the battlefield. It's not a massive tome by any stretch - try reading it before dismissing it.

As for Clausewitz, that's much more modern, and much more specifically relevant to modern warfare, with a high degree of detail on the subject of the application of artillery, movement, envelopment and positional warfare. While the specifics are certainly out of date, they are not obsolete, all that's really changed in the scaling - the applications, and the perspective are still accurate, and in wide use, even today.

Technology has certain evolved over the course of time, but the prosecution of warfare, and the basic principals of doing that successfully, have not changed. A kills B - B kills A - and doing that with the highest degree of efficiency, speed and accuracy - while minimizing ones own losses - is still the same. Sun Tzu, more than any other, still defines every aspect of that effort.
 
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Those books are fine as long as you keep the context of them in mind.
 
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People still read the bible....
You're something else 😂.. I didn't see that one coming and actually you have a point there though because they still read both the old testament and new testament of the Bible today 😂.
 
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