Art of War 4.5
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Tactical Dispositions 形篇
不可勝者守也可勝者攻也
Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
For 不可勝 I retain the sense which it undoubtedly bears in §§ 1–3, in spite of the fact that the commentators are all against me. The meaning they give, “He who cannot conquer takes the defensive,” is plausible enough, but it is highly improbable that 勝 should suddenly become active in this way. An incorrect variant in the Yü Lan is 不可勝則守可勝則攻.
Character glossary
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 也yěalso, too
- 攻gōngto accuse; to assault; to criticize
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.