Meaning – How to Understand the Last Sentence’s Meaning

meaning

Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all

I don't understand what the last line how much more no calculation at all means.

Best Answer

It is a bit of (deliberate) old fashioned writing. It seems that the translator (in 1910) felt it appropriate to make the text sound "old".

It says if the General (ie war commander) makes many "calculations" (ie detailed war plans) that general will win. And if the General makes few calculations, they will lose. It then asks rhetorically if making no calculations is worse than making a few. "If making too few calculations leads to defeat, How much worse is it then to make no calculations at all?"

The implied answer is "much worse!" So Sun Tzu is telling the reader to go to their temple (a literal temple: a building for worship) and work out detailed plans before going to war.

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