Daoism, also known as Taoism, is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion. It emphasizes living in harmony with the natural order of the universe, or "the Dao." The founder(s) of Daoism are not well-documented in history, but there are a few individuals who have been credited with developing and spreading this belief system.
One of these individuals is Laozi (also spelled Lao Tzu), who is often considered to be the founder of Daoism. He was born around 500 BCE in what is now Henan Province, China. Little is known about his early life before he became a philosopher and writer.
Laozi's most famous work is called "Tao Te Ching" or "Daodejing," which means "The Book of the Way." This text consists of 81 short poems that describe how to live a good life by following the principles laid out in it. These principles include living simply, being humble, treating others with kindness and respect, taking care of oneself physically and mentally.
Another important figure in Daoist history was Zhuang Zhou (also spelled Chuang Tzu). He lived during roughly the same time period as Laozi - around 400 BCE - but little else is known about him for certain. His writings were collected into a book called "Zhuangzi" after his death.
Zhuang Zhou's teachings were more radical than those found in Laozi's works. He believed that people should follow their own nature rather than trying to control everything around them using reason or force. For example, he once wrote about dreaming he had become a butterfly; when he woke up from his dream he realized that both humans and butterflies could only experience reality through their own senses - they couldn't know each other's thoughts directly.
There were many other philosophers throughout Chinese history who contributed to Daosim over time as well. Some notable figures include Han Feizi (died 233 BCE), whose teachings focused on power politics within government; Lie Yukou (cited between 470-391 BCE), best-known for writing humorous allegories like 'Lie Zi'; Guan Zhong (cited between c450-c390 BCE), an influential strategist during war times; Xun Kuang (Xunzi) (-313–238 BC); Mo Di (-470-before −391 BC).
In addition to these specific texts mentioned above several other classic works contribute significantly towards understanding daoist thought:
1.'Chuang-Tzu' by K.T.Tsiang.
2.'The Works Of Mencius' translated by James Legge.
3.'The Analects Of Confucius' translated by D.C.Lau.
4.'Mo-tse: Social Philosophies'.
5.'"Hsun-tze: Basic Writings"'by Burton Watson
These texts provide insights into various aspects related to Daosim such as its core beliefs regarding ethics & morality along side spiritual practices involving meditation & inner balance etc., thus giving us glimpse at diverse interpretations offered across generations through different writers sharing their vision based upon experiences gained from personal lives together incorporating observations made while observing society at large including interactions among fellow human beings which has shaped our understanding today!
It’s worth noting here though we can find many references pointing towards existence multiple founding fathers / mothers so far no consensus exists amongst scholars whether it truly existed one single person behind creation/ development process!
