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The economics of peace and war in the Chinese military classics

Author

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  • Matthew McCaffrey

    (Lecturer in Enterprise, Manchester Enterprise Centre, University of Manchester, United Kingdom)

Abstract

While some classics of Chinese military and strategic thought, like Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, are well-studied by researchers and business professionals, lesser-known works in China’s military canon have been neglected. This article surveys seven major ancient Chinese texts and discusses the contribution of each to the political economy of peace and war. As a rule, the writings stress the importance of nonviolent conflict resolution and advocate the avoidance of war whenever possible. In addition, they also consider the role of the state in war-making, especially its methods of war finance and attempts to encourage or discourage economic activity. They generally warn the state to limit its expenditure and impositions on the population so as to encourage the production of resources for use in military campaigns, should they become necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew McCaffrey, 2015. "The economics of peace and war in the Chinese military classics," Economics of Peace and Security Journal, EPS Publishing, vol. 10(1), pages 23-31, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:epc:journl:v:10:y:2015:i:1:p:23-31
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    File URL: http://www.epsjournal.org.uk/index.php/EPSJ/article/view/204
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chinese history; military strategy; war finance; political economy of war; Art of War;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B11 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Preclassical (Ancient, Medieval, Mercantilist, Physiocratic)
    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War

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