Laozi

Laozi (variously spelled; , low-TSUH; Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ) is the name traditionally given to an ancient Chinese philosopher, also identified as Li Er or Lao Dan, who is regarded as the author or originating teacher associated with the Tao Te Ching (Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng), one of the foundational texts of Taoism. Traditional accounts place him in the 6th century BC state of Chu during China's Spring and Autumn period (c. 770 – c. 481 BC), describe him as a keeper of archival records at the Zhou court, and remember him as an elder contemporary of Confucius (c. 551 – c. 479 BC). Modern scholars remain divided over his identity, dates, and precise relationship to the received text: some regard the traditional Laozi as largely or wholly legendary, while others consider a historical Lao Dan plausible and accept the tradition that he was a senior contemporary of Confucius.

A central figure in Chinese culture, Laozi is generally regarded as a founder of Taoism. He was claimed and revered as an ancestor of the Tang dynasty (618–907) and has long been honored as a progenitor of the widespread surname Li. In religious Taoist traditions he was increasingly deified and came to be identified with Laojun, a divine manifestation of the Tao. The Dào Dé Jīng profoundly influenced subsequent Chinese philosophy, religion, literature, and political thought.