The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence (Philosophy and Cultural Identity)

Strategic Intelligence is a form of meaning that promises the possibility of strategic advantage, dignity, the achievement of objective, and the fulfillment of potential in hostile environments. In The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence Gino LaPaglia demonstrates that the strategic aspect of reason—arising in human experience, encoded as value, and born by culture as a strategic resource—has been encoded as values that have been memorialized in culturally authoritative sources in various Eurasian cultures for thousands of years. These sources have validated a strategic orientation in the world, legitimized the strategist as a heroic identity, and transmitted a coherent world view that enables the practitioner of strategy to overcome asymmetric threat. By excavating the provenance of strategic thought expressed in the cultural identity of the strategist in the most culturally authoritative mythological, literary, philosophical and religious sources, and excavating the underlying strategic values expressed in cultural products, LaPaglia demonstrates that the strategic aspect of human rationality is one of the most basic structural dynamics of human meaning, and that the transmission of this strategic way of being and acting in the world offers hope for life’s underdogs. Cover......Page 1 The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence......Page 2 Series Page......Page 3 The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Epigraph......Page 8 Contents......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Notes......Page 15 Acknowledgments......Page 16 Notes on Translation, Conventions, and Abbreviations......Page 18 Cultural Genealogy......Page 20 Cultural Genealogy......Page 23 Metaphor, Imagery, and Figures of Speech......Page 26 Limitations......Page 31 Ontology......Page 33 Notes......Page 36 Greco-Roman Strategic Intelligence......Page 40 The Cultural Genealogy of Greek Strategic Intelligence......Page 46 Strategically Heroic Gods: Theogony......Page 49 Strategically Heroic Men: The Odyssey......Page 53 Notes......Page 61 Greco-Roman Strategic Intelligence......Page 66 Praemonitus, Praemunitus: Forewarned is Forearmed......Page 72 Philosophy as Strategy......Page 77 Notes......Page 83 The Legacy of Judeo-Christian Strategic Intelligence......Page 90 Jewish Strategic Intelligence......Page 91 Christian Strategic Intelligence......Page 98 Notes......Page 109 The Patrimony of Medieval & Renaissance Strategic Intelligence......Page 116 Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy......Page 118 Strategic Intelligence In Medieval Islam......Page 120 Medieval Europe......Page 122 Renaissance Strategic Intelligence......Page 127 Renaissance: Strategic Intelligence in Spanish Picaresque......Page 128 Strategic Intelligence in Italian Renaissance Drama......Page 134 Notes......Page 141 Toward a Cultural Genealogy of Chinese Strategic Intelligence......Page 148 Toward a Global Strategic Intelligence......Page 149 Toward a Genealogy of Chinese Strategic Rationality......Page 152 Notes......Page 168 The Endowment of Chinese Strategic Intelligence......Page 178 Theory of the Thick and Black......Page 186 Notes......Page 200 Thick Black Theory 厚黑學......Page 210 Thickening and Blackening......Page 212 The Classic of Thickening and Blackening......Page 217 Thick and Black Records of Practice......Page 221 Notes......Page 228 Conclusion......Page 236 Notes......Page 241 West Eurasian Primary and Secondary Sources......Page 242 Eastern Eurasian Primary and Secondary Sources......Page 251 Index......Page 258 Author Biography......Page 264 Cover 1 The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence 2 Series Page 3 The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Epigraph 8 Contents 10 Preface 12 Notes 15 Acknowledgments 16 Notes on Translation, Conventions, and Abbreviations 18 Chapter 1 20 Cultural Genealogy 20 Cultural Genealogy 23 Metaphor, Imagery, and Figures of Speech 26 Limitations 31 Ontology 33 Chapter Summaries 36 Notes 36 Chapter 2 40 Greco-Roman Strategic Intelligence 40 The Cultural Genealogy of Greek Strategic Intelligence 46 Strategically Heroic Gods: Theogony 49 Strategically Heroic Men: The Odyssey 53 Notes 61 Chapter 3 66 Greco-Roman Strategic Intelligence 66 Praemonitus, Praemunitus: Forewarned is Forearmed 72 Philosophy as Strategy 77 Notes 83 Chapter 4 90 The Legacy of Judeo-Christian Strategic Intelligence 90 Jewish Strategic Intelligence 91 Christian Strategic Intelligence 98 Notes 109 Chapter 5 116 The Patrimony of Medieval & Renaissance Strategic Intelligence 116 Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy 118 Strategic Intelligence In Medieval Islam 120 Medieval Europe 122 Renaissance Strategic Intelligence 127 Renaissance: Strategic Intelligence in Spanish Picaresque 128 Strategic Intelligence in Italian Renaissance Drama 134 Notes 141 Chapter 6 148 Toward a Cultural Genealogy of Chinese Strategic Intelligence 148 Toward a Global Strategic Intelligence 149 Toward a Genealogy of Chinese Strategic Rationality 152 Notes 168 Chapter 7 178 The Endowment of Chinese Strategic Intelligence 178 Theory of the Thick and Black 186 Notes 200 Chapter 8 210 Thick Black Theory 厚黑學 210 Thickening and Blackening 212 The Classic of Thickening and Blackening 217 Thick and Black Records of Practice 221 Conclusion 228 Notes 228 Conclusion 236 Notes 241 Bibliography 242 West Eurasian Primary and Secondary Sources 242 Eastern Eurasian Primary and Secondary Sources 251 Index 258 Author Biography 264 "In The Cultural Roots of Strategic Intelligence, Gino LaPaglia argues that Strategic Intelligence is a core dynamic of human rationality and that it has always been foundational for creating meaning in society. For thousands of years the identity of the heroic strategist has provided hope for human life lived in extremis"-- Provided by publisher