Jean Joseph Marie Amiot Introduces “The Art of War” to the West
Jan 28th, 2014 by bachmann
Sun Tzu’s Art of War has become an iconic work, a commonly cited treatise with cross-over interest and application in academia, military, business management, and even popular culture. Sun Tzu (544-496 BC), a Chinese military strategist, revered and influential throughout Asia, was virtually unknown in Western culture for centuries until the French Jesuit missionary, Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, translated his masterpiece into French in 1772. Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (1718-1793), born at Toulon, France, entered the Jesuit order in 1737, ordained in 1746. In 1750, he was sent as a missionary to China where he became a close confident of the Qianlong Emperor, acting as an official translator and spiritual leader. Amiot remained in China for the next 43 years documenting Chinese culture and philosophy. Amiot’s output was staggering, producing works on history, science, music, and art, as well as a biography of Confucius and an authoritative Manchu dictionary. Within his voluminous accounts is a work compiling the essential classics of Chinese military, including the notable Art of War. The Art of War text is comprised of 13 chapters, each one devoted to a different aspect of warfare, such as management, environment, leadership, creativity, etc. Legend has it that Sun Tzu’s work influenced Napoleon in developing his own campaign strategies. The work became even more influential in the 20th century with leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, General Pervez Musharraf, Vo Nguyen Giap, and General Douglas MacArthur.
In this early printing from 1772, Amiot presents not only Sun Tzu’s classic, but other important works on Chinese warfare, tactics, and philosophy, recorded over the centuries. The work also includes illustrations depicting various military troop exercises, armaments, uniform, costumes, etc.
Organized as follows:
Le premier, Sun-tse
Le sécond, Ou-tse.
Le troisieme, Se-ma-fa.
Le quatrième, Lou-tao.
Le cinquième, Leao-tse.
Le sixieme, Tai-tsoung, Li-ouei-kong
- Description:
- Amiot, Joseph Marie. Art militaire des Chinois, ou, Recueil d’anciens traités sur la guerre :composés avant l’ere chrétienne, par différents généraux chinois. Paris : Didot l’ainé, 1772.
- Persistent Link:
- http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:11523968
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University