Laozi
Sign in to saveLaozi (, ; ), formerly Latinized as Laocius, was a legendary Chinese philosopher considered to be the author of the Tao Te Ching (Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng), one of the foundational texts of Taoism. Modern scholarship generally regards his biographical details as later inventions and his opus a collaboration of various writers, with the name Laozi, literally meaning 'Old Master', likely intended to portray an archaic anonymity that could converse with Confucianism. Traditional accounts addend him as , born in the 6th-centuryBC state of Chu during China's Spring and Autumn period (). Serving as the r
AI overview
Laozi is a legendary Chinese philosopher traditionally credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, a foundational text of Taoism that explores the nature of the way things work in the universe and how to live in harmony with them. While popular tradition places him in the 6th century BC, modern scholars believe his biographical details were invented later and that the text was likely written by multiple authors using his name—"Old Master"—to give their ideas an air of ancient wisdom.
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Key facts
- Philosopher.region
- Chinese philosophy
- Philosopher.era
- Ancient philosophy
- Philosopher.image
- Zhang Lu-Laozi Riding an Ox.jpg
- Philosopher.caption
- Ming era portrait by Zhang Lu
- Philosopher.birth_date
- 6th century BC, sometimes dated 4th century BC
- Philosopher.birth_place
- Quren Village, Chu (present-day Luyi, Henan)
- Philosopher.death_date
- trad. 5th century BC
- Philosopher.school_tradition
- Taoism
- Philosopher.notable_works
- Dao De Jing
- Chinese.title
- Laozi
- Chinese.pic
- Laozi (Chinese characters).svg
- Chinese.piccap
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Name
- Identity
- Traditional accounts
- ''Dào Dé Jīng''
- Influence
- Han dynasty
- Tang dynasty
- Tamil Nadu
- Contemporary
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Laozi (, ; ), formerly Latinized as Laocius, was a legendary Chinese philosopher considered to be the author of the Tao Te Ching (Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng), one of the foundational texts of Taoism. Modern scholarship generally regards his biographical details as later inventions and his opus a collaboration of various writers, with the name Laozi, literally meaning 'Old Master', likely intended to portray an archaic anonymity that could converse with Confucianism. Traditional accounts addend him as , born in the 6th-centuryBC state of Chu during China's Spring and Autumn period (). Serving as the royal archivist for the Zhou court at Wangcheng (modern Luoyang), he met and impressed Confucius () on one occasion, composing the Dào Dé Jīng in a single session before retiring into the western wilderness. thumb|Laozi, sat afore his cauldron; the top-right corner inscription reads "Impression of Taishang Laojun"
A central figure in Chinese culture, Laozi is generally considered the founder of Taoism. He was claimed and revered as the ancestor of the Tang dynasty (618–907) and is similarly honored in modern China as the progenitor of the popular surname Li. In some sects of Taoism, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Chinese folk religion, it is held that he then became an immortal hermit. Certain Taoist devotees held that the Dào Dé Jīng was the avatarembodied as a bookof the god Laojun, one of the Three Pure Ones of the Taoist pantheon, though few philosophers believe this.