the art of war original text niccolò machiavelli

However, this is challenged by the Spring and Autumn Annals which record that Sun Tzu was born in the state of Qi. The ancient Shiji document records that Sun Tzu was born in the state of Wu. Whilst there is consensus as to when Sun Tzu was born, there are conflicting references as to where he was born. Sun Tzu was a Chinese military general and philosopher born in the late Spring and Autumn Period of China (722–481 BC) which corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. He also wrote comedies, carnival songs and poetry. Two of his most notable works included The Prince, 1513, and The Art of War, 1517 – 1520. It was these political treatises that earned him his intellectual place in the development of political philosophy and political conduct during the renaissance. Upon his release he retired to his estate at Sant’ Andrea in Percussina and devoted himself to study and writing political treatises. Machiavelli was then imprisoned and despite being subjected to torture, he maintained his innocence and was eventually released. The Medici removed Machiavelli from office accusing him of conspiracy. Machiavelli’s militia were subsequently defeated at Prato by the Medici’s Spanish mercenaries. His militia proved itself in the defense of Pisa from 1496 to 1509. He distrusted mercenaries preferring a politically invested citizen-militia. Machiavelli was responsible for raising and maintaining the Florentine militia. This immersed him in the center of political affairs in Florence giving him an intimate perspective on Italian politics during the renaissance. Throughout his career he performed a number of roles including a series of diplomatic missions and posts in France, Germany, and Rome. His political career started when he joined the civil service under the republican regime of Piero Soderini in 1498. Niccolo Machiavelli was born on and grew up in Florence. Their history and background will be looked at first. This analysis will also draw reference from the context they were living in, in terms of culture and time period.

Sun Tzu’s work will be directly compared to these themes.

These themes are Human Nature and The Fundamental Nature of war, Specific Causes of War’ and ‘Kinds of War, Model Commander, Psychology of War, Money in War, Deception and Waging War. In particular we will be referring to The Art of War, with some reference to The Prince. To compare and contrast their works, I will identifie several key themes throughout Machiavelli’s work. Both Machiavelli and Sun Tzu’s versions of The Art of War were influential works of their time and are still widely read and used today.

The art of war original text niccolò machiavelli