Born: c. 571 BC Died: 471 BC Nationality: Chinese Laozi (老子) was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching (also referred to as the Laozi), the founder of philosophical Taoism and as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. As a religious figure, he is worshiped under the name "Supreme Old Lord" and as one of the "Three Pure Ones". Two core concepts in Laozi’s ideas are Zi Ran (Nature) and Wu Wei, in w