Speaker 1: Chapter four of the Art of War. This is a
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Speaker 1: Recording by Paul z. The Art of War by Swinzer,
Speaker 1: Chapter four, Tactical dispositions. One, Swinzer said, the good fighters
Speaker 1: of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat,
Speaker 1: and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. Two.
Speaker 1: To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands.
Speaker 1: But the opportunity of defeating the enemy is proved by
Speaker 1: the enemy himself. Three. Thus the good fighter is able
Speaker 1: to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of
Speaker 1: defeating the enemy. Four. Hence the saying one may know
Speaker 1: how to conquer without being able to do it. Five.
Speaker 1: Security against defeat implies defensive tactics. Ability to defeat the
Speaker 1: enemy means taking the offensive. Six. Standing on the defensive
Speaker 1: indicates insufficient strength. Attacking a super abundance of strength. Seven.
Speaker 1: The general who is skilled in defense hides in the
Speaker 1: most secret recesses of the earth. He who is skilled
Speaker 1: in attack, flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven. Thus,
Speaker 1: on the one hand, we have ability to protect ourselves.
Speaker 1: On the other, a victory that is complete. Eight. To
Speaker 1: see victory only when it is within the can of
Speaker 1: the common herd is not the acme of excellence. Nine.
Speaker 1: Neither is it the acme of excellence if you fight
Speaker 1: and conquer and the whole empire says well done. Ten.
Speaker 1: To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength.
Speaker 1: To see the sun and moon is no sign of
Speaker 1: sharp sight. To hear the noise of thunder is no
Speaker 1: sign of a quick ear Eleven. What the ancients called
Speaker 1: the clever fighter is one who not only wins, but
Speaker 1: excels in winning with ease. Twelve. Hence, his victories bring
Speaker 1: him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for carriage. Thirteen.
Speaker 1: He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no
Speaker 1: mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it
Speaker 1: means conquering enough an enemy that is already defeated. Fourteen. Hence,
Speaker 1: the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes
Speaker 1: defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating
Speaker 1: the enemy. Fifteen. Thus it is that in war, the
Speaker 1: victorious strategist only seeks back after the victory has been won,
Speaker 1: whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and
Speaker 1: afterwards looks for victory. Sixteen. The consummate leader cultivates the
Speaker 1: moral law and strictly adheres to method and discipline. Thus
Speaker 1: it is in his power to control success seventeen. In
Speaker 1: respect of military method, we have firstly measurement, secondly estimation
Speaker 1: of quantity, thirdly calculation, fourthly balancing of chances, fifthly victory eighteen.
Speaker 1: Measurement owes its existence to earth, estimation of quantity to measurement,
Speaker 1: calculation to estimation of quantity, balancing of chances to calculation,
Speaker 1: and victory to balancing of chances. Nineteen. A victorious army
Speaker 1: opposed to a rooted one is as a palm's weight
Speaker 1: placed in the scale against a single grain. Twenty. The
Speaker 1: onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of
Speaker 1: pent up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep.
Speaker 1: End of Chapter four