6th century BCE (traditional) · Philosophy, Ethics, Metaphysics, Political Theory
Laozi is a legendary ancient Chinese philosopher and the purported author of the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching). Traditionally considered a contemporary of Confucius, he is revered as the founder of philosophical Daoism, advocating for a life of simplicity, non-action (wu wei), and alignment with the natural flow of the Dao.