Laozi
Laozi, formerly latinized as Laocius, was a legendary Chinese philosopher considered to be the author of the Tao Te Ching, 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 Li Er, born in the 6th-century BC state of Chu during China's Spring and Autumn period.
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Works & Publications
No works or publications documented yet.
Timeline
-579
Born
Birth-500
Died
Death
✦ Foundational Figure
Laozi is recognised as a foundational figure whose teachings form the basis of a living religious tradition. Out of respect for these traditions, we do not display algorithmically-generated "influenced by" connections for prophets and religious founders — these data points are unreliable for pre-modern figures and risk misrepresenting sacred biography.
Thinkers influenced by Laozi's ideas are still shown in the section below.
Influenced
Thinkers whose work was shaped by Laozi's ideas
Source Attribution
Information about Laozi is sourced from curated knowledge bases and cross-referenced for accuracy. Influence relationships are scored by thematic overlap and historical plausibility.
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