Killing Scholars

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.0

Word count: 168 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

“杀士” means that a commander skilled in warfare can make his soldiers willing to fight to the death. "Wei Liaozi: Orders for the Army II" says: "In ancient times, those skilled in the use of troops could cause half their soldiers to die; the next best could cause three-tenths to die; the least of them could cause one-tenth to die." This is close to the main idea of this piece.

Editor's review

This book centers on the ancient military concept of "杀士" (shashi), exploring how commanders can make soldiers willing to fight to the death and how they can balance strict rewards and punishments with the cohesion of the army. The material shows that its main idea is close to the statement in "Wei Liaozi: Orders for the Army II" that "those skilled in the use of troops can cause half their soldiers to die." Thus the book is not simply about cruel control of subordinates; rather, it approaches the subject from ancient military systems, military law, morale, and the authority of commanders, presenting the side of traditional military thought in which "the use of troops begins with governing the heart." For readers interested in pre-Qin military studies, ancient military institutions, and the ethics of command, this book offers a relatively concentrated set of source leads and room for interpretation. When reading, one may compare it with the original text of "Wei Liaozi" and take care to distinguish "杀士" in the ancient context from the ordinary sense of harsh treatment of soldiers, so as to understand the organizational logic of discipline, trust, and sacrifice behind it. It is suitable as supplementary reading for thematic study of ancient military texts and also for readers interested in traditional wisdom on commanding troops, who may savor it slowly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in pre-Qin military texts and ancient military thought
Scholars studying ancient military law, reward and punishment systems, and the ethics of command
Deep readers who like to compare original texts and take thematic notes
Management readers interested in organizational management and the wisdom of building morale

Not a good fit for

Military enthusiasts expecting modern war reportage or tactical case studies
General readers hoping for light, story-driven historical narrative
People impatient with ancient classical Chinese military concepts

Reading tips

First read the relevant passage in "Wei Liaozi: Orders for the Army II," then return to this book's interpretation to grasp the origin of the concept.
While reading, mark the meanings of "杀士" in different contexts to avoid simply modernizing an ancient military law concept.
You may take corroborating notes with cases of ancient commanders governing troops, but be careful to distinguish historical sources from this book's views.
If time is limited, read the summary of the main idea first, then choose specific chapters according to interest.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
杀士

FAQ

Does "杀士" mean that commanders arbitrarily kill soldiers?

It is not simply arbitrary killing. The material shows that its meaning is close to "those skilled in the use of troops can make soldiers willing to fight to the death," with the focus on how commanders use military law, rewards and punishments, and prestige to make soldiers willing to go into battle. When reading, one should understand the ancient context in light of the original text of "Wei Liaozi" and avoid directly applying modern management concepts.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can read it, but it requires some patience. The book involves ancient military concepts and classical Chinese quotations. It is advisable to read the interpretation of the main idea first, then work through the original text slowly. If you are completely unwilling to engage with classical Chinese materials, the reading experience will be rather difficult.

Is this book suitable as training material for military management?

It can be used as extended reading, but it should not be treated directly as a modern management textbook. The book discusses discipline, authority, and morale in the context of ancient troop governance, and these must be analyzed and adapted before they can be connected to contemporary organizational management topics.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.