The School of Sun Tzu: Winning Empires Without War

Exactly what was the purpose of the terra cotta army of China's first emperor? Some imagine that the clay army was constructed to protect the emperor in the afterlife. But clay armies protect nobody. More to the point, the first emperor was an atheist and did not believe in an "afterlife."

The School of Sun Tzu is the result of painstaking research that links, for the first time, the foundation of China as a nation with the method by which that was made to happen. And that foundation happened because one of the most forward states ever, defined the methodology by which war could end and peace prevail. The terra cotta army of Qin Shi Huang celebrates those two discoveries.

The methodology includes a treatise on principles and philosophy known as the Tao Te Ching, and a manual for organizational and inter-organizational management known as Ping-fa (erroneously referred to for centuries as Sun Tzu: The Art of War).

Ping-fa's messages include instructions in communications, leadership, command and control, intelligence and planning.

These discoveries are the consequence of an inter-disciplinary study by a social anthropologist. His background includes military service, having served as an aide to a foreign affairs minister, and having consulted large organizations on both Knowledge Management and organizational governance. This combination of experiences and skills allowed author David G. Jones to unearth links that have not been defined until now.

Mr. Jones began his study by asking why the famous works Tao Te Ching and Ping-fa had been written, and by whom, and to what use

they were applied. The extensive commentary on these works do not

address these critical issues. Both works are assumed to be the creation of obscure writers from “antiquity.” No proofs of authorship have ever been delivered.

Ping-fa's messages emerge when it is stripped of its militarist language. This was a device intended to assist learning and memorization. The many commentaries that have appeared over the years assume that this medium was actually the message.

The secret to unlocking the non-militarist text is found in the Tao Te Ching which is the companion piece to Ping-fa. It soon becomes evident this is a work for strategic organizational planning and management, and that the Tao Te Ching is the value context within which one applies the Ping-fa methodology. These were the works of enlightened individuals working in concert.

Resolving why they were written takes longer. But the evidence is clear. The small Middle Kingdom state of Qin was able – in a few short years – to end war and establish the Chinese empire. That they made that happen without conflict marks that as one of the most significant feats of empire-buiulding the world has ever seen.

The conclusion of this research, vividly described and documented, has now

been published. Now too, we see for the first time just how incredible was the first emperor Qin Shi Huang and how significant were his achievements.

This is an interesting read on a very large canvas. It explains, and

clarifies, much that has been assumed and conveyed again and again about

the founding of China. The School of Sun Tzu reveals messages of contemporary importance regarding how one manages without conflict, and how one builds sustainable organizations.

The School of Sun Tzu: Winning Empires without War is available at:

http://tinyurl.com/bq5klsn

David G. Jones, author

Ottawa, Canada