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Laozi

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Philosophers

            Laozi's names
      Chinese name: 老子
            Pinyin: Lǎozǐ
        Wade-Giles: Lao Tzu
   Other spellings: Lao Tse, Laotse,
                    Lao Tze, Laotze
       Actual name: Lǐ Ěr
     Courtesy name: Bó Yáng
   Posthumous name: Dān

   Laozi (Chinese: 老子, Pinyin: Lǎozǐ; also transliterated as Lao Tzŭ, Lao
   Tse, Laotze, and in other ways) According to Chinese tradition, Laozi
   lived in the 6th century BC, however many historians contend that Laozi
   actually lived in the 4th century BC, which was the period of Hundred
   Schools of Thought and Warring States Period. Laozi was credited with
   writing the seminal Taoist work, the Tao Te Ching (also known simply as
   the Laozi).

His life

   Whether Laozi even existed is the issue of strong debate, because he is
   the author of he Tao Te Ching (Dàodéjīng). Laozi became an important
   cultural hero to subsequent generations of Chinese people. Ostensibly,
   Lao Tzu's wise counsel attracted followers, but he refused to set his
   ideas down in writing, worrying that written words might solidify into
   formal dogma. Lao Tzu laid down no rigid code of behaviour. He believed
   a person's conduct should be governed by instinct and conscience. He
   believed "simplicity" to be the key to truth and freedom. Lao Tzu
   encouraged his followers to observe, and seek to understand the laws of
   nature; to develop intuition and build up personal power; and to wield
   power with love, not force.

   According to the legend and the biography included in Sima Qian's work,
   Laozi was a contemporary of Confucius, and worked as an archivist in
   the Imperial Library of the Zhou Dynasty (1122–256 BC). Hearing of Lao
   Tzu's wisdom, Confucius travelled to meet him. Confucius put a lot of
   emphasis on traditional rituals, customs and rites. Confucius met him
   in Zhou, near the location of modern Luoyang, where Confucius was going
   to browse the library scrolls. According to this story, Confucius and
   Laozi discussed ritual and propriety (cornerstones of Confucianism)
   over the following months. Laozi strongly opposed what he felt to be
   hollow practices. Taoist legend claims that these discussions proved
   more educational for Confucius than did the contents of the libraries.
   Lao Tzu perceived that the kingdom's affairs were disintegrating, so it
   was time to leave. He was travelling West on a buffalo when he came to
   the Han Gu Pass, which was guarded. The keeper of the pass realized Lao
   Tzu was leaving permanently, so he requested that Lao Tzu write out
   some of his wisdom so that it could be preserved once he was gone, Lao
   Tzu climbed down from his buffalo and immediately wrote the Tao Te
   Ching. He then left and was never heard of again.

   According to the Taoist fables Laozi lived for over 900 years old up
   which explained he was both the senior and then the contemporary of
   Confucius, and Laozi had held court advisor positions in all of his
   previous twelve incarnates starting at the time of the Fuxi (伏羲), one
   of the three August Ones and five Emperors, but there is no historical
   text to support this belief.
   Laozi, from Myths and Legends of China (1922) by E.T.C. Werner
   Enlarge
   Laozi, from Myths and Legends of China (1922) by E.T.C. Werner

Taoism

   Laozi's work, the Tao Te Ching, is one of the most significant
   treatises in Chinese philosophy. It is his magnum opus, covering large
   areas of philosophy from individual spirituality and inter-personal
   dynamics to political techniques. The Tao Te Ching is said to contain
   'hidden' instructions for Taoist adepts (often in the form of
   metaphors) relating to Taoist meditation and breathing.

   Laozi developed the concept of " Tao", often translated as "the Way",
   and widened its meaning to an inherent order or property of the
   universe: "The way Nature is". He highlighted the concept of Wei wuwei,
   or "action without action". This does not mean that one should hang
   around and do nothing, but that one should avoid explicit intentions,
   strong wills or proactive initiatives.

   Laozi believed that violence should be avoided as much as possible, and
   that military victory—which logically would be attained through use of
   force—should be an occasion for mourning rather than triumphant
   celebration.

   Similarly to the arguments fowarded by Plato in The Republic on various
   form of governing, Laozi said that the codification of laws and rules
   into the society created difficulty and complexity in managing and
   governing.

   As with most other ancient Chinese philosophers, Laozi often explains
   his ideas by way of paradox, analogy, appropriation of ancient sayings,
   repetition, symmetry, rhyme, and rhythm. The writings attributed to him
   are often very dense and poetic. They serve as a starting point for
   cosmological or introspective meditations. Many of the aesthetic
   theories of Chinese art are widely grounded in his ideas and those of
   his most famous follower Zhuang Zi.

   The libertarian economist Murray N. Rothbard suggests that Laozi was
   the first libertarian, likening Laozi's ideas on government to F.A.
   Hayek's theory of spontaneous order. (See also: .) Similarly, the Cato
   Institute's David Boaz includes passages from the Tao Te Ching in his
   1997 book The Libertarian Reader. Philosopher Roderick Long, however,
   argues that libertarian themes in Taoist thought are actually borrowed
   from earlier Confucian writers.

   Some people suggest that his philosophy that "greater is the man who
   resists control" is an excuse to lose control.

Influences

   Laozi's most famous follower, Zhuang Zi, wrote a book that had a great
   deal of influence on Chinese Literati, through the ideas of
   individualism, freedom, carefree living, and art, which may well be the
   cornerstone of Chinese aesthetic, although the author never speaks
   about it.

Names

   The name "Laozi" is an honorific. Lao means "venerable" or "old". Zi or
   tsu translates literally as "boy", but it was also a term for a rank of
   nobleman equivalent to viscount, as well as a term of respect attached
   to the names of revered masters; thus, "Laozi" can be translated
   roughly as "the old master".

   Laozi's personal name may have been Li Er. His courtesy name may have
   been Boyang, and also Dan, which also means "mysterious".

   Laozi is also known as:
     * Laodan
     * Great Lord
          + Li the Great Lord
          + Lao the Great Lord
     * Laozi the Lord of Tao

   During the Li Tang Dynasty, in order to create a connection to Laozi as
   the ancestor of the imperial family, he was honoured as The Emperor of
   Xuanyuan, meaning "Profoundly Elementary" with a temple name of
   Shengzu, meaning "Saintly/Sagely Progenitor".

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