Philosopher & Founder of Taoism · Chinese · b. 6th century BC · d. unknown
Lao Tzu (Lǎozǐ, 'Old Master') was a semi-legendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. According to tradition, he was a 6th-century-BC contemporary of Confucius, working as the archivist for the royal court of Zhou. Reportedly, he grew weary of the moral decay of city life and noted the kingdom's decline. He ventured west to live as a hermit in the unsettled frontier at the age of 80. At the western gate of the city, the official Yinxi recognized him and asked him to write down his wisdom; the result was the *Tao Te Ching* (Dàodéjīng), the foundational text of Taoism. The work, in 81 brief poetic chapters, presents a way of living grounded in *wu wei* (non-coercive action), simplicity, humility, and harmony with the Tao — the underlying pattern of the universe. Through Taoism, Lao Tzu's ideas profoundly influenced Chinese thought, religion, art, and politics, and his sayings have been read and re-read for over two millennia.
No articles yet.