1.0 Introduction
It cannot be disputed that Zi was highly interested in the cost of war. In this light, he makes various recommendations that would act as useful guidelines in the event of war. Now, it is evident that war has become very costly in the contemporary society (Vernon 56). Based on that current situation, this paper seeks to discuss the theory of the cost of war as stipulated by Sun Zi.
2.0 The Theory of the Cost of War by Sun Zi
Basically, military decision makers must analyze both the benefits as well as the drawbacks of an imminent war (Zi 67). In addition to this, the author proposes that it is necessary for the decision makers to evaluate and estimate the possible cost of taking arms against another military force. Indisputably, this falls under the author’s concept of cautious warfare.
Further, the author recommends that a fighter should seek to wage war and realize victory with minimal damages. In this case, he proposes that the fighter should seek to subdue their enemy in order to weaken it and thus achieve easy victory. In other words, his focus is based on using little energy but achieving high results.
In order to make sure the fighter uses minimal energy while securing victory, he suggests that one should first identify the weak points of the enemy. After the identification, the attacker should strike at those weak points accurately. In perspective, therefore, it is clear that Sun prefers the use of wits to forceful aggression.
3.0 Conclusion
According to the theory of the cost of war, it is necessary to reduce damages without compromising the victory. This is achieved by attacking the weak points and subduing the enemy to win easily. Importantly, the theory suggests that war is more about skills, strategy, and wits rather than force and strength.
Works Cited
Vernon, Alex. War. Ipswich, MA: Salem, 2013. Print.
Zi, Sun, and Samuel B. Griffith. The Art of War. London: Oxford UP, 1971. Print.
