Lao Tzu (6th century BC) is believed to have been a Chinese philosopher and the reputed author of the "Tao te ching," the principal text of Taoist thought. He is considered the father of Chinese Taoism.

Lao Tzu purportedly was an older contemporary of the great philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC). Lao Tzu is said to have founded a philosophical school known as the Tao Chia (School of the Tao), whose teaching centered on the vague and indefinable concept of tao, usually translated "way." This school taught quietism and a nonaggressive approach to life. By the 4th century B.C. there were many Taoist masters who claimed to elaborate on Lao Tzu's original teachings.

Three Lao Tzus

The main source of information on Lao Tzu's life is a biography written by the historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien (145-86 B.C.) in his Records of the Historian. By this time a number...