Art of War 2.7
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
故不盡知用兵之害者則不能盡知用兵之利也
It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
That is, with rapidity. Only one who knows the disastrous effects of a long war can realise the supreme importance of rapidity in bringing it to a close. Only two commentators seem to favour this interpretation, but it fits well into the logic of the context, whereas the rendering, “He who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits,” is distinctly pointless.
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 盡jǐnto exhaust, to use up, to deplete
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 兵bīngsoldier; troops, an army; warlike
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 害hàito injure, to harm; to destroy, to kill
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 8.4
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi Transcendental Bliss
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.