Taoism traditionally traces its roots back to a figure known as Laozi, often rendered “Old Master.” Scholarship places Laozi’s lifetime around the 6th century BCE, though concrete historical details remain wrapped in legend. The text attributed to him, the Tao Te Ching, is thought to have been compiled somewhere between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE.

Around the same era, scribes and thinkers in the Warring States period (475–221 BCE) were wrestling with questions of ethics, politics and the nature of reality. Into that ferment arrived the teachings of Laozi, urging rulers and common folks alike to “go with the flow,” aligning their actions with the effortless rhythms of the Tao—the underlying Way of all things. Over time, those ideas mingled with the more playful, anecdote-rich writings of Zhuangzi (also 4th century BCE), giving Taoism its poetic, freewheeling cast.

Rather than a neatly packaged religion with a single founding date, Taoism emerged gradually. Archaeological finds—like the Guodian bamboo slips unearthed in the 1990s—suggest versions of Taoist thought were circulating by the late 4th century BCE. Rituals, alchemical pursuits and organized priesthoods developed in later centuries, especially under the Han dynasty, when Taoism solidified into a broad spiritual movement.

Today’s fascination with minimalist living, breathwork and eco-conscious lifestyles can be seen as a modern echo of Taoist harmony with nature. From mindfulness apps promoting “effortless effort” to climate activists drawing on the Taoist principle of wu wei (action through inaction), the spirit of Laozi still ripples through contemporary conversations.