Who does not know the evils of war cannot appreciate its benefits.
Sun TzuRead
Now this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that certain knowledge cannot be acquired through traditional means such as spirits, experience, or calculations.
Sun Tzu emphasizes the limitations of human understanding when it comes to foreknowledge. He suggests that there are aspects of knowledge that exist beyond our capacities to discern through conventional methods like spiritual inquiry, empirical observation, or logical deduction, indicating the complexity of wisdom and foresight.
Themes
KnowledgeWisdomForeknowledgeLimitationsUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of knowledge and wisdom, to highlight the limitations of human understanding.
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To capture an enemies army is better than to destroy it.
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The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
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You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Sun TzuRead
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
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