Meeting King Wei
兵者，凶器也，争者，逆德也，不得已而用之。
War is a deadly tool, and conflict is against virtue. It should only be used when there is no other choice.
夫兵者，非士恒势也。此先王之傅道也。战胜，则所以存亡国，继绝世也。
故兵者，凶器也，争者，逆德也，不得已而用之。
战争没有永恒不变的态势。这是先王传下的道理。战争胜利了，就能保存将亡的国家，延续将断的世系。所以战争是凶险的工具，争斗是违背道德的，只有在不得已时才使用。
Warfare has no fixed momentum. This is the eternal principle passed down by ancient kings. Victory in war preserves endangered states and revives broken clans. Therefore, war is a deadly tool, and conflict is against virtue. It should only be used when there is no other choice.
兵者凶器，不得已而用之；备而后动，慎战安国
War is a last resort. Prepare fully before taking action; be prudent in warfare to secure the nation.
孙膑继承孙武"兵者国之大事"的慎战思想，但进一步提出"凶器"论——战争本身是负面的，只有在"不得已"时才可动用。这与老子"兵者不祥之器"相呼应，体现了先秦兵家的反战本质。
Compare to Clausewitz's "war is the continuation of politics" — Sun Bin adds a moral dimension. Compare to Just War Theory (Augustine, Aquinas).
商纣暴虐无道，武王不得已起兵讨伐，体现了"不得已而用之"的原则。
King Zhou's tyranny left King Wu no choice but to raise an army — embodying the principle of using force only as a last resort.
俾斯麦通过精心策划的外交挑衅迫使法国先宣战，使普鲁士获得道义优势。
Bismarck engineered diplomatic provocations to force France into declaring war first, giving Prussia the moral high ground.
国际社会在外交努力失败后，经联合国授权发动军事行动解放科威特。
After diplomatic efforts failed, the international community launched a UN-authorized military operation to liberate Kuwait.