Lao Tzu
Late 60s.
Life:
A native of Ruy County, Zhoukou City, Henan Province, he was an official of the Zhou Dynasty at the end of the Spring and Autumn period, but later resigned from his post.
He was the first person in China to contemplate the universe, and he named the truth of the universe he discovered 'Tao' (道). The belief centered on the Tao is called 'Taoism', and he explained that the fundamental principle that makes up all things in the universe is the 'Tao'.
Philosophy:
The Tao has no form or shape, it does not change or disappear, and it is always everywhere. His philosophy is that the various forms of all things in the universe that we can see with our eyes are merely manifestations of the Tao.
His philosophy can be expressed by the phrase 'Wu Wei Zi Ran' (無爲自然) in his book . His 'Wu Wei Zi Ran' philosophy is that humans are the origin of the universe, and to reach the path of the Tao, which is the truth, one must live according to the laws of nature. In other words, he said that one can only reach the Tao by living according to one's purest conscience, without being bound by artificial things such as laws, morals, customs, and culture, and by preserving one's original form.
He was later called the 'founder of Taoism', and his philosophy developed into 'Lao-Zhuang thought' or 'Taoist thought', holding significant importance in the history of Chinese spiritual thought alongside Confucianism.