1. Laying Plans
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English translation
Original Chinese text
孙子曰:兵者,国之大事,死生之地,存亡之道,不可不察也。故经之以五事,校之以七计,而索其情:一曰道,二曰天,三曰地,四曰将,五曰法。
English translation
Sun Tzu says that warfare is the state’s gravest undertaking, one that decides life, death, and the survival of the realm, so it must not be entered casually. He therefore sets five factors as the core tests and then applies seven calculations to infer the real state of affairs.
This is a precondition-setting principle: strategy starts from systematic assessment, not from impulse.
Original Chinese text
道者,令民与上同意,可与之死,可与之生,而不畏危也。天者,阴阳、寒暑、时制也。地者,高下、远近、险易、广狭、死生也。将者,智、信、仁、勇、严也。法者,曲制、官道、主用也。凡此五者,将莫不闻,知之者胜,不知者不胜。故校之以七计而索其情,曰:主孰有道?将孰有能?天地孰得?法令孰行?兵众孰强?士卒孰练?赏罚孰明?吾以此知胜负矣。
English translation
'Dao' means common purpose: the people and ruler share intent, ready to live and die together. 'Heaven' means climate, seasons, and timing. 'Earth' means terrain: elevation, distance, risk, width, narrowness, and the practical conditions tied to life and death. 'The commander' means intelligence, trust, humanity, courage, and discipline. 'Method' means institutional rules, command channels, and how force is organized and employed.
These five are well known, but only those who truly understand them can win. The seven checks then test whether purpose, leadership, conditions, laws, manpower strength, troop readiness, and reward-and-punishment discipline are in place, allowing an early estimate of victory.
Original Chinese text
将听吾计,用之必胜,留之;将不听吾计,用之必败,去之。计利以听,乃为之势,以佐其外。势者,因利而制权也。兵者,诡道也。故能而示之不能,用而示之不用,近而示之远,远而示之近。利而诱之,乱而取之,实而备之,强而避之,怒而挠之,卑而骄之,佚而劳之,亲而离之。攻其无备,出其不意。此兵家之胜,不可先传也。
English translation
If a commander follows my plan, using him can secure victory; if he refuses, using him will lead to defeat and should be discarded. Advantage comes from adopting sound calculations and turning them into force posture, where the commander uses available gains to constrain the opponent.
War is deception as practice, so apparent weakness and strength are deliberately reversed: able yet feigning inability, advancing and withdrawing to mislead distance and timing. Strategic force is made not by brute force alone but by manipulating expectations, then striking when the opponent is unprepared.
Original Chinese text
夫未战而庙算胜者,得算多也;未战而庙算不胜者,得算少也。多算胜,少算不胜,而况于无算乎?吾以此观之,胜负见矣。
English translation
Before fighting, if planning yields a clear winning line, it means sufficient calculation was made. If planning is not won before battle, the calculation is poor; with too little calculation, victory is unlikely. How then could one without calculation prevail?
Sun Tzu places prewar modeling at the front of decision-making. A side that can map variables before action is often already closer to deciding the outcome.