Category: Introductory Chinese

Laozi（老子L ǎozǐ)  is the name  of a legendary Daoist ( 道教d àojiào)  philosopher , the alternate title of the early Chinese text better known in the West as the Daodejing (道德经d àodéjīng) , and the moniker of a deity in the pantheon of organized “religiousDaoism” that arose during the later Han dynasty (汉朝H àncháo)  (25-220 CE). Laozi is the pinyin Romanization for the Chinese characters which mean "Old Master (大师d àshī) ." Laozi is also known as Lao Tan (老 聃 Lǎo Dān)  ("Old Tan") in early Chinese sources (see Romanization systems for Chinese terms). The Zhuangzi (庄子 Zhuāngzǐ)  is the first text to use Laozi as a personal name and to identify Laozi and Lao Tan. The earliest materials associated with Laozi are in the Zhuangzi’s Inner Chapters. The Outer Chapters of that work have ten logia in which Laozi is the main figure, four of which contain direct attacks on the Confucian (孔子 Kǒngzǐ)  virtues ofren, yi, and li that are reminiscent of passages from the Daodejing. The earliest ascription of authorship of the Daodejing to Laozi is in Han Feizi (韩非子H ánfēizǐ)  and the Huainanzi (淮南子H uáinánzǐ) , but several themes from the Laozi logia of the Zhuangzi are traceable into the Daodejing and on at least two occasions in that text Laozi counsels following dao (the Way) to possess de (virtue). Laozi became a principal figure in institutionalized religious forms of Daoism. He was often associated with many transformations and incarnations  of the dao itself.