Of the works of Sun Zi,the most widely read and controversial overseas is undoubtedly his Tao of Deception.Westerners are impressed by its practicality but raise concerns over its disruption of conventional social ethics and morals.In fact,in the field of warfare,semiosis has its alterity,and normal social laws and communication theories are incapable of explaining sign behaviours when two sides are at war.This study finds a long-standing habitus in the field of the semiosis of warfare that nothing is too deceitful in a state of war;the core of the lie sign is"benefit",the aim is to take the enemy by surprise;and useful means are to satisfy his tastes and steal what he loves.In terms of decoding strategies,Sun Zi follows a pragmatic maxim of prioritising understanding of the intentions behind signs.Meanwhile,he expresses subtle thoughts on the credibility and manipulability of signs according to their types.This study produces a new interpretation of a classic that addresses the insufficient attention given by semiotics to the dynamic generating process of lie signs.Furthermore,it reveals the mechanisms behind the generation of these signs,which can offer practical guidance.
维普
万方数据