Compare and Contrast Sun Tzu and Clausewitz

Karl von Clausewitz & Sun Tzu

Comparative Analysis of Karl von Clausewitz's theory and Sun Tzu's art of war

Civilization has evolved throughout history with numerous incidents of wars, conflicts, and destruction of territories and societies. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was met with endless conflicts of warring tribes and cultures; war has become rampant through the years that, in the 20th century alone, we bore witness to three major conflicts: the First and Second World Wars and the Cold War. Destructive as wars may seem, Karl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu considered the concept of war in a different perspective. Where war is synonymous to destruction, pillage, and suffering, Clausewitz and Tzu regarded war as a phenomenon that should be given more analysis than criticism.

In Clausewitz's "On War" and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," both authors expound their view of the war. This paper centers on a comparative analysis of the discourses of Clausewitz and Tzu about war in general. The analysis found that while both authors subsist to the belief that war must be based on effective tactics and strategy and strong morality, they also differ in that Clausewitz considered war a scientific phenomenon while Tzu meant war to be a 'doctrine,' a philosophy that must be upheld by true and courageous warriors.

A comparison of Clausewitz's and Tzu's discourses showed that they shared similar viewpoints regarding one's preparedness to accomplish the conduct of war. In "On War," Clausewitz emphasized the role that tactics, "superiority of numbers," "subsistence of troops," and strategic locations and territories as key factors that make up his proposed theory of war. Similarly, Tzu expressed the significance of these factors in determining a groups' success against defeating the enemy.

However, the most important similarity that both authors have delved into their discourses was the role the morality played in reinforcing one's courage and determination to win the war. For Clausewitz, hostile feelings towards the enemy must be used constructively and convert this to a positive feeling that helps strengthen one's courage and desire to win the war. Tzu, meanwhile, notes that "good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy." Thus, a good fighter must first overcome his/her fear of defeat in order to defeat the enemy.

The main difference between Clausewitz and Tzu was their conception of war. Clausewitz, on one hand, considered war as a phenomenon; therefore, it necessitated the construction of a theory in order to explain its nature and dynamics. Tzu, on the other hand, looked at war from a more humanist perspective, considering it an "art," an experience, rather than a phenomenon that must be objectively studied.