The Book of Expediency

苏洵The Commercial Press · ChinaJun 2024

4.4

Word count: 8K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Written by Su Xun of the Song Dynasty, this work, though aged by time, is still used by people today. Its essence is stated as follows: People say, "Confucians do not speak of warfare." Yet a war of benevolence and righteousness, without technique, wins of itself. If a war of benevolence and righteousness could win without technique, why would King Wu have needed Taigong? And at the Battle of Muye, "after the fourth and fifth attacks, the sixth and seventh, they halted and marshaled"—what use was that? This is a book on warfare, and it is the technique by which benevolence is put into practice and righteousness is aided. I deplore that people of the world do not examine root and branch, and recklessly take me for a follower of Sun Wu. Sun's words on warfare are commonplace words, whereas I regard this book as one that speaks only when there is no alternative. Thus only when benevolence and righteousness have no alternative do I employ it. It was written for the exhaustion of benevolence and righteousness.

Editor's review

Quanshu is Su Xun's representative work on military affairs; its value lies not in teaching troop deployment but in examining the relationship between "benevolence and righteousness" and "technique." In the text Su Xun explicitly rejects the world's taking him for a follower of Sun Wu and stresses that this book is the product of "employing it only when benevolence and righteousness have no alternative," a stance that gives the whole work a strong Confucian cast and practical concern. Readers can see a Song literatus's serious reflection on the legitimacy of war and the tension between expediency and moral principle; the prose is concise and sharp, the argument advancing layer by layer, combining intellectual depth with compositional discipline. This facsimile is based on the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition, preserving the appearance of the old version, and is suited to careful reading by those interested in classical military thought, Song intellectual history, and classical prose. It should be read not as a practical military manual but as a series of political and philosophical essays, so as to appreciate Su Xun's intent in "speaking only when there is no alternative."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the relationship between ancient Chinese military thought and Confucian moral principle
Literature enthusiasts studying Song prose who wish to experience Su Xun's argumentative style
Writers seeking primary-source grounding for essays on traditional thought
Readers who like Republican-era Commercial Press facsimiles and have an interest in collecting editions

Not a good fit for

Military enthusiasts looking for concrete tactics, formation diagrams, and other practical content
Beginners who prefer plain-language reading and lack patience for classical Chinese and facsimile layout

Reading tips

Begin with the prefatory passages to grasp the core stance that "it is employed only when benevolence and righteousness have no alternative," then proceed to the individual chapters.
After each chapter, summarize Su Xun's thesis and argumentative path in one or two sentences to train your grasp of classical argumentative structure.
Read alongside relevant chapters of The Art of War to appreciate Su Xun's deliberate sense of boundary-drawing with Sun Wu.
The facsimile text is densely printed; consult reference works for rare characters and words, and slow down to digest each chapter.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
序
心术
法制
强弱
攻守
用间
孙武
子贡
六国
项籍
高祖

FAQ

Is Quanshu a practical military manual teaching troop deployment and warfare?

No. Su Xun states specifically in the book that the world mistakenly takes him for a follower of Sun Wu, whereas he considers this work one that "speaks only when there is no alternative," focusing on how technique may aid righteousness once benevolence and righteousness are exhausted. It is a discussion of warfare from a Confucian standpoint, not an operational tactical manual.

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

You can try, but be prepared for difficulty. The book is in classical Chinese and is a facsimile of the original Republican-era edition, with no modern annotation or vernacular translation. Consult reference works or read selected chapters first; if it proves hard going, read famous pieces such as Su Xun's "On the Six States" to familiarize yourself with his style before returning.

What is special about this edition?

This edition is a facsimile of the original Republican-era Commercial Press printing, preserving the old version's line arrangement and layout. It is valuable for studying the appearance of Republican-era rare-book printings or for readers who wish to avoid modern deletions and alterations, though the facsimile print somewhat affects reading convenience.

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About the author

苏洵 Author

Su Xun was an important prose writer of the Northern Song dynasty. Together with his sons Su Shi and Su Zhe, he is known as one of the "Three Su" and is counted among the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song." Seven of his works are included in this collection, among them such representative pieces as "On the Six States," Quanshu, Jice, and Shenfa, as well as an anthology of the Three Su and a selected collection of the Eight Great Masters. "On the Six States" argues from the historical fact that the six states of the Warring States period perished by bribing Qin, using the past to criticize the present with keen and forceful reasoning; it is a representative example of his political prose. His writing excels at argument, with penetrating analysis and concise, vigorous language, and he was skilled at drawing on historical events to set forth political views, leaving a deep influence on later argumentative prose. His works are often classified under Eastern philosophy, classic works, and culture, and also show elements of documentary literature. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so this introduction focuses on his transmitted works and prose style.