Lao Tsu
<p><b>Laozi</b> was a <a title="Chinese legend" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_legend">legendary</a> <a title="Chinese philosophy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_philosophy">philosopher</a> of <a title="History of China" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_China#Ancient_China">ancient China</a>. He is best known as the reputed author of the <i><a title="Tao Te Ching" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching">Tao Te Ching</a></i><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-stanford_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi#cite_note-stanford-1">[1]</a></sup> and the founder of philosophical <a title="Taoism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism">Taoism</a>, but he is also revered as a <a title="Chinese gods" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_gods">deity</a> in religious <a title="Taoism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism">Taoism</a> and <a title="Traditional Chinese religion" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_religion">traditional Chinese religions</a>. He is usually dated to around the 6th century BCE and reckoned a contemporary of <a title="Confucius" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius">Confucius</a>, but some historians contend that he actually lived during the <a title="Warring States period" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period">Warring States period</a> of the 5th or 4th century BCE.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laozi#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> A central figure in <a title="Chinese culture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_culture">Chinese culture</a>, Laozi is claimed by both the emperors of the <a title="Tang dynasty" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty">Tang dynasty</a> and modern commonfolk of the <a title="Li (surname)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_(surname)">Li family</a> as a founder of their lineage. Throughout history, Laozi's work has been embraced by various <a title="Anti-authoritarianism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-authoritarianism">anti-authoritarian</a> movements.</p>