Skip to main content

Games People Play

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 1017 Accesses

Abstract

In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu says that the weak can triumph over the strong and the gentle can overcome the uncompromising. This saying illustrates succinctly the traditional Chinese attitude towards conflict.Below I use three representative examples—the martial art of tai chi, board game of Weiqi and the book The Art of War—and their Western equivalents to show how Chinese and Westerners differ in their approaches to managing contest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   37.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   37.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • R.L. Wing, The Tao of Power, Lao Tzu’s Classic Guide to Leadership, Influence and Excellence, Ch. 36 and 40, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vincelombardi.com, reviewed Mar 2014.

  • Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Lin Wusun, Long River Press, Ch. 1, P. 11, 2003a.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vietnam War, Encyclopaedia Britannica, reviewed Apr 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flora Lewis, Vietnam Peace Pacts Signed America’s Longest War Halts, The New York Times, Jan 27, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eastern Front (World War II), Wikipedia, reviewed Apr 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abraham Lincoln, Brainy Quote, reviewed Jan 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Congressional Budget Office, The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023, P. 10, Feb 5 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Lin Wusun, Long River Press, Ch. 7, P. 66, 2003b.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States debt ceiling crisis of 2013, Wikipedia, reviewed May 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashley Parker and Jonathan Weisman, G.O.P. Senate Leaders Avert Debt Ceiling Crisis, The New York Times, Feb 12, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Lin Wusun, Long River Press, Ch. 7, P. 65, 2003c.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry Kissinger, On China, P. 23, Penguin Books, 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael I. Handel, Sun Tzu and Clausewitz: The Art of War and On War Compared, Professional Readings in Military Strategy No. 2, P. 24–30, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Naval War College, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carl von Clausewitz, On War, Edited and Translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret, P. 485–487, Princeton University Press, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Lin Wusun, Long River Press, Ch. 6, P. 55, 2003d.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Lin Wusun, Long River Press, Ch. 11, P. 55, 2003e.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economist, BREXIT: THE AFTER SHOCKS, Last updated Jun 24, 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • CBSNEWS, 5 ways U.S. and global markets are rethinking Brexit, Jul 4, 2016.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Yen, W. (2017). Games People Play. In: From the Great Wall to Wall Street. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33008-2_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics