Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part One)
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Mark Linsenmayer
4.6 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 26 October 2020
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On the Chinese military treatise from around the 5th century BCE.
How does a philosopher wage war? The best kind of war can be won without fighting. The general qua Taoist sage never moves until circumstances are optimal. We talk virtue ethics and practical strategy; how well can Sunzi's advice be applied to non-martial pursuits? With guest Brian Wilson.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to the partially examined life, a podcast by some guys who are at one |
| 0:11.3 | point set on doing philosophy for living with Enthopped better of it. |
| 0:14.6 | Our question for episode 255 is something like, how does the philosopher wage war? |
| 0:19.1 | When we read the art of war, attributed to Sun Tzu in the 5th or 6th century BCE, for |
| 0:24.8 | more information please visit partiallyexaminedlife.com. |
| 0:27.7 | This is Mark Linton-Meyer and Madison Wisconsin, and my strategic disposition is favorable. |
| 0:32.9 | This is Seth Pascon making sure that my men have no choice but to fight in Austin, Texas. |
| 0:38.4 | This is Wes L. on preparing for the best of all possible wars in Cambridge, Massachusetts. |
| 0:43.4 | Nice. |
| 0:44.4 | This is Dylan Casey defined by wisdom reliability, humanness, courage, and strictness in Midland, Michigan. |
| 0:51.7 | This is Brian Wilson, living forward to rhetorical thrusts and parries in Dallas, Texas. |
| 0:57.8 | Welcome Brian. |
| 0:58.8 | Hi Brian. |
| 0:59.8 | Hey guys. |
| 1:00.8 | Folks who will know Brian from the Combat and Classics Podcast, at least you better, |
| 1:04.9 | if you've been at partiallyexaminedlife.com ever and looked at the network podcast, and |
| 1:09.4 | you had done something with this before, right Brian? |
| 1:12.5 | Can you get us started here and maybe say something about what combat and classics is and |
| 1:17.6 | then talk about Sun Tzu? |
| 1:19.4 | Sun classics was spurred on by me being in the Marine Corps for a long time and then |
| 1:25.6 | go into St. John's College of Annapolis and then go on what next? |
| 1:29.5 | I thought about setting up something like some online seminars, maybe a podcast exploring |
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