ABSTRACT
Scholars of Chinese intellectual history have been able to develop the area of military thought to a greater degree than hitherto possible. The problem for the military theorist is that man generally fails to realize the dual necessity to obey T'ien-tao and, at the same time, contribute originally to its fulfillment. Li Ch'uan goes on to consider psychicity, explaining that its sometimes unmanifest, Heavenly essence is embedded both in the objective world and in man. Recognizing the necessity for political unification rather than a precarious balancing of powers, a few statesmen believed the storms of the realm could be quelled by relying chiefly on martiality to forge a single empire. In accord with the covert nature of martial philosophy, as Li saw it, potency precludes the continuous manifestation of force. To compensate for the "metaphysical" lapse that often haunts human decision-making, Li turns to normative training to impart the proper identity of man and Heavenly process.
