《汉书·艺文志》兵形势考

A Textual Research of Military Management and EffectivenessRecorded in “Treatise on Literature” of the Book of Han

《汉书·艺文志》将兵书划分为四种,其中的兵形势,有学者认为是讲求军事行动运动性、灵活性的一个流派,有学者认为就是战术,但从先秦典籍来看,形势之“形”,主要是指编制实力的组织管理,并兼及作战部署,而“势”则是潜在的预期效能,即编制实力经“形”的有效组织管理而转化成的战斗力。从《汉书·艺文志》看,《兵书略》对“形势”的定义与列入兵形势家的《尉缭子》《蚩尤》等书都与军队组织管理有关。从学科体系结构看,兵形势是类似于近现代“军务”职能的专守之事和专精之学,是传统兵学的四大分支之一,故兵权谋作为总的战略方针与战术方法,在整个兵学体系中发挥统摄作用,而形势、阴阳、技巧分别在治军众、通鬼神、管器械三个不同向度上支撑着权谋的实施。

In “Treatise on Literature” of the Book of Han, books on the art of war are divided into four types, and themilitary management and effectiveness therein is regarded as one school which strives for movability and flexibility inmilitary action, or just means tactics. Yet judging from pre-Qin literature, the former word mainly refers toorganization and management of military strength, and also gives consideration to operational preparations;while thelatter word mainly refers to potential and expected efficiency, i.e. the combat effectiveness transformed from effectiveorganization and management. Viewing from “Treatise on Literature” of the Book of Han, the definition given by“Brief Account of Books on Art of War” and the books listed in this school such as Weiliaozi and Chiyou, are allrelated to military organization and management. In consideration of discipline system, military management andeffectiveness as one of the four branches of traditional strategics, is a kind of specialized knowledge similar to modernmilitary affairs. In this system, tactics plays a general role, and the other three branches of management andeffetiveness, yinyang, and technique support the implementation of tactics on dimensions of administrating armedforces, communicating with god and ghosts, and managing the appliance.