Sun Tzu (/ˈsuːnˈdzuː/; also rendered as Sun Zi) was a Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. He is actually best known by an honorific which means "Master Sun"; his birth name was Sun Wu, and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing. Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a widely influential work of military strategy that has impacted both Western and Eastern philosophy.