Art of War 7.25
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Manœuvring 軍爭篇
民既專一則勇者不得獨進怯者不得獨退此用衆之法也
The host thus forming a single united body, it is impossible either for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone.
This is the art of handling large masses of men.
Lionel Giles's notes
Chang Yü quotes a saying: 令不進而進與令不退而退厥罪惟均 “Equally guilty are those who advance against orders and those who retreat against orders.” Tu Mu tells a story in this connection of 吳起 Wu Ch‘i, when he was fighting against the Ch‘in State. Before the battle had begun, one of his soldiers, a man of matchless daring, sallied forth by himself, captured two heads from the enemy, and returned to camp. Wu Ch‘i had the man instantly executed, whereupon an officer ventured to remonstrate, saying: “This man was a good soldier, and ought not to have been beheaded.” Wu Ch‘i replied: “I fully believe he was a good soldier, but I had him beheaded because he acted without orders.”
Character glossary
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 專zhuānconcentrated, specialized; to monopolize
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 獨dúalone, independent, only, single, solita
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 怯qièafraid, lacking in courage
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 衆zhòngmultitude, crowd; the public
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 法fǎlaw, rule, statute; method, way; French
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 7.37
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Transcendental Bliss
- Analects 4.21
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Art of War 3.7
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.