Which principle describes conflict as a contest between systems in which humans are treated as subcomponents of the opponent's system?

• A. Deception
• B. Comprehensive National Power
• C. Public Opinion Warfare
• D. Ten Principles of People's War

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is war as a systemic contest where every part of the opponent’s warfighting capability is treated as a component of a larger system, including people themselves as elements of that system. In PLA thinking, victory comes from shaping, disrupting, or collapsing the enemy’s entire system rather than just defeating isolated units, and this rests on mobilizing and coordinating political, informational, logistical, and social resources to affect the opponent at all levels. The Ten Principles of People’s War specifically codify this systemic view, making it the best fit for describing conflict as a contest between systems with humans as subcomponents of the opponent’s system. Deception is a tactic, Comprehensive National Power is a measurement framework, and Public Opinion Warfare targets influence rather than the overarching systemic view, so they don’t capture the described concept as directly.