Laozi

(flourished 6th century &BC;, China) First philosopher of Chinese Daoism. He is traditionally named as the author of the Daodejing, though modern scholars hold that the work had more than one author.

Legends about his life abound, but little or no certain information survives. The historical Laozi, if he existed, may have been a scholar and caretaker of sacred books at the royal court of the Zhou dynasty. According to legend, he was carried 72 years in his mother's womb, and he met Confucius as a young man. He is venerated as a philosopher by the Confucianists, as a saint or god by the common people of China, and as a divinity and the representative of the dao by Daoists.