Comparison 16: Knowledge
In this article, we compare the last stanza of the first section of chapter one with the first stanza of section two of chapter two. Both are about “knowledge.” I have written about the many hidden patterns in The Art of War. These two verses clearly connected because they reference knowledge, but they describe knowledge in the different contexts of their chapters.
The main focus of the first chapter is the five key elements that we use to analyze strategic positions. These are missions, climates, grounds, commands, and methods. Positions exist in the physical world, but the positions that matter are the ones that people compare in their minds. Positions are the knowledge we have about them. This knowledge is the basis of whether or not others see us as deserving and rewards. This knowledge has five dimensions, whether we realize it or not.
But what is knowledge? How do we know what is in our heads? There is only one way. From the words that we speak and write. Knowledge is not what we can see. We cannot see from their actions what is hidden in the hearts of others: their motives, goals, their hopes, their fears. What we see can only explain and verify what we hear, including whether what we hear is true or false.
Listening
The first line of the first stanza we will examine refers to the topic of its section, the five components of a strategic position.
<All> <here> <five> <are>
The Art of War, Chapter 1, Section 1, Line 14.
All five aspects are in every strategic position, ours, those occupied by others, and those potential positions that could be occupied in the future. These five components are what give us the ability to foresee future moves, ours and those of others.
Even though those aspects exist in every position, do we all try to find out about all of them?
<General> <not> <no> <hear>,
The Art of War, Chapter 1, Section 1, Line 15.
The ancient Chinese character for “hear” is three ears grouped together. What is heard is never heard by just one person. Information spreads. Listening is the first skill and the last skill of the four different abilities we need to advance. The first because we must listen before doing anything else. The last because we can never stop listening. The importance of listening is introduced here, in the first section of the first chapter of the book, but it is also the central topic of the last chapter, connecting the end of the book to its beginning.
Victory or Defeat
The next topic is the effect of listening.
<Knowledge> <of> <is> <victory>
The Art of War, Chapter 1, Section 1, Line 16.
Knowledge of these five factors is the key to our success. The Chinese character for “knowledge” is a man listening to an open mouth. What we hear comes from the mouths of others, but knowledge is how it is all put together in the mind of a person. The human mind is the true battlefield of strategic competition, and our minds are our only weapon in those battles.
<No> <knowledge> <of> <is> <no> <victory>
The Art of War, Chapter 1, Section 1, Line 17.
Sun Tzu uses the two characters meaning “no knowledge,” which is different than ignorance. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge. “No knowledge is more extreme, the absence of knowledge. We are all ignorant of many things. Our information on the five key factors is always incomplete. However, there is no excuse for no knowledge. We all need some strategic knowledge. We must get more, but the secret is making the most of it.
“No victory” is another interesting choice of Chinese characters. Sun Tzu doesn’t use the character for “defeat” here. Why not? Because some defeats are unavoidable. Many translations, including my own, get this wrong. Even with knowledge, even with better knowledge than other competitors, we will meet defeat. Competition is a strategic game of probabilities played with limited information.
The fact that we can lose gives us an incentive to control our costs. The purpose of good strategy is to have fewer defeats and more victories and to lower the costs of each.
What is never certain is success. If we do not have any knowledge, no success is possible. If we have no knowledge at all, no victory is possible, even by accident. The text is a precise description of the cost of a lack of knowledge.
But what is special about the cost of knowledge?
The Cost
We jump now to chapter two, which is about the costs of competition, the cost of advancing our positions, which includes the risks involved, and the relationship of speed to cost. More specifically, it is about the cost of meeting our rivals when we are compared.
The obvious costs are tied to physical substance, acquiring and moving men, materials, resources, and food. All resources are potentially limited in terms of what we can afford to accumulate, how much we can store, and how much we may carry in any moved to advance our positions. When we use these resources in competition, they are gone, consumed. We must gather more resources in order to make another move.
This is where “knowledge” is different from other resources.
<Make> <no> <exhaust> <knowledge> <use> <war> <’s> <harm> <is>,
The Art of War, Chapter 2, Section 2, Line 1
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