If you haven't already, read The Art of War as a Taoist text. It is no surprise that Napoleon seemed to grasp at Taoist ideas. That "invisible, unspeakable, unknowable darkness, which is the whole of one’s circumstances in a single moment" is a beautiful description of something familiar to every military leader.
Totally agree! I’ve noticed a lot of resonance between the two texts...to the point where I sometimes wonder if the Art of War is more of a Taoist allegory than a manual for generals!
There are people who believe that, but it's outside my range of expertise. Regardless, Sun Tzu has mass appeal outside military circles. It's more of a primer on the principles of (unbounded) competition than a tactical treatise.
Yes totally agree about this book being a product for the elite...by definition anyone who was literate at the time was elite! Funny enough, I finally got interested enough in this book when I heard of a Han dynasty emperor who used Taoism as his ruling philosophy. I wasn’t all that interested in mysticism on its own, but mystical rulers...intriguing!
And now that I’m a Project Manager for
the State as a client “ruling” various projects....I do find it quite applicable at times. It’s a good bedstand book.
I've read and reread the Tao with a fair amount of frequency, and while I've never read it as being apolitical, because nothing ever is and nothing ever can, I've never looked at in quite this political of a way. Thanks for the intriguing perspective.
If you haven't already, read The Art of War as a Taoist text. It is no surprise that Napoleon seemed to grasp at Taoist ideas. That "invisible, unspeakable, unknowable darkness, which is the whole of one’s circumstances in a single moment" is a beautiful description of something familiar to every military leader.
Totally agree! I’ve noticed a lot of resonance between the two texts...to the point where I sometimes wonder if the Art of War is more of a Taoist allegory than a manual for generals!
There are people who believe that, but it's outside my range of expertise. Regardless, Sun Tzu has mass appeal outside military circles. It's more of a primer on the principles of (unbounded) competition than a tactical treatise.
Yes totally agree about this book being a product for the elite...by definition anyone who was literate at the time was elite! Funny enough, I finally got interested enough in this book when I heard of a Han dynasty emperor who used Taoism as his ruling philosophy. I wasn’t all that interested in mysticism on its own, but mystical rulers...intriguing!
And now that I’m a Project Manager for
the State as a client “ruling” various projects....I do find it quite applicable at times. It’s a good bedstand book.
I've read and reread the Tao with a fair amount of frequency, and while I've never read it as being apolitical, because nothing ever is and nothing ever can, I've never looked at in quite this political of a way. Thanks for the intriguing perspective.
Interesting take on a ancient text. I've never thought of them colliding, Dao & politics