Essay Sample about Sun Tzu’s The Art of War

When Michaelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, his work was heralded as a masterpiece; art that would last for centuries. When a country goes to war, the result is not looked upon as the creation of art, but rather the destruction of humanity. Sun Tzu’s book, The Art of War, however, paints a unique picture of war as a creative endeavor, from strategy and development to leading and conquering. The Art of War has shaped militaristic thinking throughout the centuries with essential principles that govern war and key teachings on strategic offense, defense, and tenets of organizational structure and planning.

From the time it was written in the Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 B.C.), The Art of War’s popularity has provided the book with a plethora of success. It has become popular with the ordinary person through applications in business and life, however, modern military leaders have also found important lessons in the writing. Former director of the CIA, David Petraeus, regards Sun Tzu and his book as “a fascinating mixture of the poetic and the pragmatic, and every bit as relevant now as when it was written” (). 

There is a consensus among scholars that The Art of War is divided into thirteen distinct sections, all which deal with various aspects of warfare, and in some cases, the lack of it. The premise of the book is about complex military strategy and overcoming different obstacles in war. Not only that, but The Art of War also goes into great detail about the responsibility of the general, both controlling the environment to the best of his ability, as well as his soldiers.

Even with Sun Tzu being regarded as one of the most innovative generals of our history, some argue if he even exists or not.