Definitions for "Laozi"
A Chinese philosopher who founded Taoism in the 6th-century b.c.
literally, "old master," traditionally assumed to have been born in the sixth century B.C. He is considered the author of the earliest Taoist philosophical text, the Classic of the Way and Its Power (Daode jing). Historians now agree that Laozi was a legendary figure developed to provide an author for the Daode jing, which was compiled by a group of scholars in the third century B.C. During the Han dynasty, Laozi was deified; he remains one of the most important deities in religious Taoism.
Major Chinese philosopher; recommended retreat from society into nature; individual should seek to become attuned with Dao. (p. 104)