Wonders of the Axial Age and Hundred Schools: Another lauding of Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu is one of the earliest skeptics and empiricists. Learning that the Assyrians played Dice with the gods to decide on their Tactics, while Many warlords did the same through auguries and all sorts of omen reading, its just so many kinds of awesome to know that Sun Tzu who existed at 7C BC was one of the earliest Skeptics/Pragmatists. At least his works survived the burying of scholars and the destruction of the hundred schools ordered by the first Emperor.

Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard. 25. Thus, without waiting to be marshaled, the soldiers will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to be asked, they will do your will;

[Literally, "without asking, you will get."]

without restrictions, they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can be trusted. 26. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

[The superstitious, "bound in to saucy doubts and fears," degenerate into cowards and "die many times before their deaths." Tu Mu quotes Huang Shih-kung: "'Spells and incantations should be strictly forbidden, and no officer allowed to inquire by divination into the fortunes of an army, for fear the soldiers' minds should be seriously perturbed.' The meaning is," he continues, "that if all doubts and scruples are discarded, your men will never falter in their resolution until they die."]

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