The Complete Collection of 36 Famous Chinese Stratagems in One Volume

Modern psychology has concluded that human relationships at all levels are certain gaming systems with their own rules and characteristics. What has been called games was already part of Chinese communication culture several centuries before our era. The stratagemic nature of thinking and behavior - this notion is equivalent to the notion of a game - refers to the characteristic features of Chinese civilization. The concept of a stratagem is most closely akin to the concept of an algorithm in mathematics. However, if we do not compare it to mathematics, a stratagem means a strategic plan in which there is some trap or trick for the opponent. Stratagems were crafted not only by military leaders. Political teachers and advisors to kings were skilled in managing civil society and in diplomacy. In China, several centuries before our era, the development of strategic plans - stratagems - became a practice and, becoming a kind of art, was enriched by many generations. Stratagems became a secret national treasure. Their discovery is recognized as one of the serious achievements of academic Sinology science in our country. We present readers with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the complete collection of 36 stratagems, published for the first time in one volume.

In the second part (stratagems 19-36), abbreviations of examples illustrating various aspects of a stratagem have been made. Here, outdated political materials and pages specifically intended for German-speaking audiences were removed.