Lao-Tzu was a famous and possibly legendary figure in Chinese history. He is generally held to be the author or at least the progenitor of the philosophy of Taoism.

Lao-Tzu is thought to have lived in the 6th Century B.C. He is also known at Lao-Tse and Laozi. All versions are not a name but a title, which translates into English as "Old Teacher" or "Old Man."

He was for a time the Keeper of the Archives for the royal court during the Zhou Dynasty. He had many disciples and students, and the famous Confucius was one of those who appreciated his wisdom.

One key difference between Lao-Tzu and Confucius was in their teaching with regard to government. Confucius stressed the importance of good government; Lao-Tzu famously wrote that "the more laws one makes, the more criminals one creates."

Lao-Tzu is most well-known for having written Tao-Te-Ching, which is the foundation of the philosophy known as Taoism.

The Tao is a natural, universal force, Lao-Tzu wrote, in the book that is known in English as "Book of the Way" or "The Way and the Power." The Tao has a natural balance, which people upset by acting against the interests of nature. Rather, a person was better off in a state of wu wei, being humble, thrifty, and free from desires. That term has also been interpreted as "doing nothing"; by this, Lao-Tzu meant that a person should be in the moment and go with the flow, not necessarily act accordingly to a proscribed set of rules. He wrote, "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."

Most importantly, wu wei dictates a refrain from aggressive action; that aggressive action naturally includes committing acts of violence but also accumulating fame and wealth. As a natural extension of this, Lao-Tzu taught that a person who is injured should return that injury with a great kindness, for "the softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest." In the same way, the Tao-Te-Ching says, anticipating a peaceful resolution to conflict, "Yield and overcome. Empty and become Full. Bend and become straight."

Lao-Tzu was said to have written this work, a collection of rhymes indiscriminately divided into chapters, at the behest of a guard that he encountered on his way out of China, disappointed by the behavior of people all around him, who chose to ignore the laws and ways of nature. Once he had finished writing, he left, never to return. One story says that he then went to India and met the Buddha, one of his contemporaries. Yet another version of his life says that he did not leave China but turned back and spread his wisdom far and wide. Some historians insist that Lao-Tzu did not exist, either at all or as one person as described in the stories about him. The theory of these historians is that he was a composite of several philosopher-teachers who collectively passed on their wisdom. One of the pearls of that wisdom is perhaps one of the ancient world's most famous quotes: "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."