SUN ZI'S MILITARY PHILOSOPHY ON NEGOTIATION

Abstract

Initially named "Sun Zi's Art of War", but as recent scholars such as Wee Chow-How has shown, should be more aptly translated as Sun Zi's Military Philosophy, for essentially, ~f~ is the title given to philosophers, and deeper study into Sun Zi's famous treatise indeed reveals its philosophical nature. The title of "Sun Zi's Military Philosophy" thus reflect more fittingly the true nature of Sun Zi's treatise. Studies on negotiation have become increasingly popular, as a new wave of trade and political alliances are sweeping across the world due to globalization. Thus, it has been noted that negotiation issues have become increasing complex, and the strategies and tactics used by negotiators to achieve their goals are now carefully studied by academic researchers. This study is an attempt to analyze if Sun Zi's Military Philosophy could be applied to appreciate the fundamentals of negotiation, as well as a deeper study into negotiation, questioning the plausibility of negotiation being part of Sun Zi's Military Philosophy itself. Essentially, this is not a study on strategies and tactics of negotiation, but on the fundamentals that negotiation strategies and tactics are built upon.