Daodejing

The Way of Water

The Art of War

On Guerrilla Warfare

Completing Distinctions

Zhuangzi

The Tao of Strategy
David R. Cross, Ph.D.

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
Robert Frost

"We do not know enough about how the present will lead into the future."
Gregory Bateson

This is the website for the "Fort Worth" version of The Tao of Strategy, a course synthesizing Eastern and Western perspectives on strategy as it pertains to several domains, including business, politics, psychology, and the military. The purpose of the course is to reveal the deep structure of strategic action, and to show how this deep structure manifests itself in most realms of personal and professional striving. You may also want to visit the webpage for the TCU-in-Scotland version of this course.

Course Requirements

  • The course meets once each week, on Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 6:00. Each week students write a short essay (500 words maximum) worth 10 points; topics for the short essays can be found in the course notes (distributed by the instructor). There are 150 total points possible for short essays and participation.
  • In addition to the short essays, students are required to write two long essays; each long essay should be 5–6 pages (1,500 words maximum), and written on one of the seven topics listed below. Each long essay is worth 50 points, for a total of 100 points.
    • If you don't have a copy of The Elements of Style, I recommend you get a copy, or something similar.
    • Long essays are due by the final exam, but may be rewritten for a better grade if turned in early. However, they should not be started before we are well into Part 2 of the course, otherwise you will not have the relevant background knowledge. All essays (short and long) should be turned into the appropriate eCollege drop basket.
    • Follow this link to see a list of long essay topics and suggested resources.
  • The grading scale is constructed in 10% increments based upon 250 total points; 225 points are required for an A, 200 points for a B, 175 points for a C, and so on. Grades will be kept on the eCollege site for this course.

Textbooks

There are six textbooks required for the course. Note that for the translated works you must purchase the translations listed here. You should bring all relevant texts to class for each class period; we will use them like workbooks.

  • Ames, R. T., & Hall, D. L. (2003). Daodejing "Making This Life Significant"—A Philosophical Translation. New York: Ballantine Books.
  • Allan, S. (1997). The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
  • Minford, J. (2002). Sun-tzu: The Art of War. New York: Penguin Books.
  • Griffith, S. B. (2002). Mao Tse-tung: On Guerrilla Warfare. University of Illinois Press: Champagne, IL.
  • Flemons, D. (1991). Completing Distinctions: Interweaving the ideas of Gregory Bateson and Taoism into a unique approach to therapy. Boston: Shambhala.
  • Watson, B. (2003). Zhuangzi: Basic Writings New York: Columbia University Press.

Course Schedule

There are three parts to the course, each five weeks long. For each part you will find listed here relevant resources, including texts.

Part 1: Making This Life Significant

Part 2: The Classic Book of Life

Part 3: Wandering At Ease in the World

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