### **1. Lao Tzu (Laozi) – The Founder of Daoism** **Key Ideas:** - **The Dao (Tao, "The Way"):** The unnameable, eternal force underlying all existence. The *Dao De Jing* (his primary text) teaches harmony with the Dao through *wu wei* ("non-action" or effortless action). - **Natural Simplicity:** Rejects artificial rules, advocating spontaneity, humility, and alignment with nature. - **Anti-Authoritarian:** Criticized rigid governance, believing "The more laws, the more thieves." - **Mysticism:** Embraced paradox (e.g., "The soft overcomes the hard") and intuitive wisdom over intellectualism. **Legend:** - Said to have been an archivist who left China disillusioned, writing the *Dao De Jing* at the request of a guard before vanishing. Historians debate his existence, but his impact is undeniable. `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`