About
Laozi (老子, 'Old Master') is a semi-legendary figure of Daoism, whose historicity is debated. According to tradition recorded by Sima Qian, he was an archivist at the Zhou court and met Confucius. He is credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, a foundational text of 81 chapters, at the request of a border guard before leaving China. The oldest manuscripts discovered (Guodian, c. 300 BCE; Mawangdui, 168 BCE) attest to the text's antiquity. His thought, centered on wu-wei (non-action) and harmony with the Dao, profoundly influenced Chinese culture. Religious Daoism deified him as one of the Three Pure Ones.
Major works
- Tao Te Ching (4th–3rd century BCE)philosophical text
Key milestones
- c. 300 BCEThe earliest fragments of the Tao Te Ching are copied on bamboo slips at Guodian.
- 168 BCENearly complete silk manuscripts of the Tao Te Ching are buried at Mawangdui.
- c. 100 BCESima Qian writes the first biography of Laozi in his Records of the Grand Historian.
Themes
The Dao (the Way)Wu-wei (non-action)Harmony with natureSimplicity and humilityParadox and wisdom
Sources: iep.utm.edu · worldhistory.org