The Art of Peace vs. The Art of War

Whenever you have to choose, listen to your heart.

The Art of War is a work written more than 2,000 years ago. It is attributed to Sun Tzu (Chinese military strategist, general, philosopher, and writer), and is about various aspects of military warfare. The work presents the basic principles of warfare and provides advice on how and when to fight. A mixture of the pragmatic and the poetic, Sun Tzu’s teachings can be applied to many situations in life because they’re focused on finding the easiest way to achieve a goal. Lessons from The Art of War extend beyond the field of battle and can be applied to everything from habit formation to goal setting to business growth.

However, an Aikido master from the 20th century brought us The Art of Peace. Morihei Ueshiba was an invincible warrior, but as a man of peace – he detested any kind of violence. He believed that what the world needs are not techniques of competition but those of harmony.

How different are these two philosophies? Can people utilize both for the better? How do you choose the art you want to master?

The Art of War

“ The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

The Art of War primarily focuses on military strategy, but despite that, it also offers insights on preventing unnecessary conflicts, leadership, strategic thinking, and even wisdom on life itself. The book was first translated in the 20th century, and it gained massive popularity in the 2000s when people started applying it to business and life in general. The book is divided into thirteen chapters dealing with planning, waging war, tactical dispositions, maneuvering, weak and strong points, energy, attack by stratagem, the use of spies, attack by fire, and other tactics. Proper planning and preparation with the aim of defeating an enemy is the gist of Sun Tzu’s thinking.

According to The Art of War, one should always assume an adversarial, hostile, and competitive world. Next, one assumes that happiness and survival are dependent upon winning. Ultimately, the paramount goal is to defeat the enemy. These are all themes and assumptions that underlie the philosophy of today’s business people.

Early in the book, Sun Tzu explains that the Tao is an essential tool in war because it means inducing the people to have the same goal as the leaders. They need to share life and death without fear of danger, so he endows a philosophical and religious concept with a dose of common sense, practicality, and psychology. A polytheist religion, Taoism doesn’t say people should worship the Gods, but rather see them as explanations of things that are inexplicable. Tao is typically translated as “The Way” and is a relig

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