History › Classical age › The Axial Age: new philosophies and faiths
Laozi and Daoism
c. 6th–4th century BC; Laozi may be legendary· Idea, religion or movement· Asia
DebatedHistorians or scientists disagree about what happened, when, or why.
Daoism is a Chinese philosophy, and later a religion, built on living in harmony with the Dao, the natural 'Way' of things.
See it on the History map →What happened
Tradition says Laozi ('Old Master') was an archivist at the Zhou court who wrote the Daodejing, a short book of about 5,000 Chinese characters, then rode off west. Many scholars think several hands compiled it in the 4th–3rd centuries BC. It praises simplicity, humility and wu wei, 'effortless action'. The Zhuangzi added witty parables. From the AD 100s Daoism also became an organized religion with priests, temples and rituals.
Why it matters
With Confucianism and Buddhism it became one of China's 'three teachings', shaping medicine, painting and martial arts. Daoist alchemists seeking immortality later stumbled on gunpowder.
How we know
Bamboo-slip copies from a tomb at Guodian (buried c. 300 BC) and silk copies from Mawangdui (c. 168 BC) prove the Daodejing circulated early, in varying versions.
Still debated
Whether Laozi was a real person, and whether he lived before or after Confucius, is unknown; even Sima Qian's biography, written around 100 BC, hedges.
Connections (2)
▸Laozi and Daoism belong to The Axial Age: new philosophies and faithsMostly agreed
The connection
Daoism fits the Axial Age pattern of new thinking about how to live. Amid the chaos of the Warring States, Daoist texts rejected ambition and rigid rules and urged people to follow the natural Way. It was one of China's 'Hundred Schools of Thought', flourishing in the same centuries as the Buddha and Greek philosophy.
When and how
China, roughly the 6th–3rd centuries BC; the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi took shape around the 4th–3rd centuries BC.
How sure are we?
Early manuscripts, such as the Guodian bamboo slips from about 300 BC, confirm Daoist texts circulated within the period.
Debates and open questions
Because Laozi's dates are so uncertain, Daoism's exact place in the sequence, early or late, is unclear.
▸Laozi and Daoism offered an alternative to the teachings of ConfuciusMostly agreed
The connection
Confucius stressed duty, ritual, education and active government. Daoist texts mocked this as artificial: the more laws are made, the more thieves there are. They urged rulers to do less and people to live simply. The two became complementary poles of Chinese life; a common saying holds that officials were Confucian in office and Daoist in retirement.
When and how
China, 5th–3rd centuries BC; the Daodejing, the Zhuangzi and Confucius' Analects.
How sure are we?
The Zhuangzi openly satirizes Confucius in invented dialogues, and the Daodejing rejects Confucian virtues such as benevolence and ritual.
Debates and open questions
Tradition says Confucius once met Laozi and was awed; the story is probably legend, and which tradition came first is unclear.