In our second episode on Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, we dive into the cultural movement that introduced it to the west: the first Jesuit mission to China. From 1552 until 1773, the missionary priests of the Society of Jesus were the primary channel for communication between China and Europe. While their main goal was the conversion of souls, they wound up sharing science, technology, and literature with their hosts and their hundreds of correspondents back home. Listen to the story of Jean Joseph Marie Amiot (1718-1793), who was the first writer to translate The Art of War into a European language, and a member of the last generation of Jesuit pioneers in China. Harpsichord music optional.

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