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Taoism or Daoism is a major ancient Chinese philosophy that advocates following the natural order of things, known as the Tao (lit. "The Way"). The chief ancient text describing the beliefs of Taoism is the Tao Te Ching (道德經, pinyin: ''dào dé jīng''), also known as the ''Laozi'' after its supposed author, [[Lao Tzu]] (pinyin: ''Lǎozǐ'').
Taoism or Daoism is a major ancient Chinese philosophy that advocates following the natural order of things, known as the Tao (lit. "The Way"). The chief ancient text describing the beliefs of Taoism is the Tao Te Ching (道德經, pinyin: ''dào dé jīng''), also known as the ''Laozi'' after its supposed author, [[Lao Tzu]] (pinyin: ''Lǎozǐ'').
The text is believed to have first appeared in the 3rd century BCE, though the term "Taoism" did not become common until the 2nd century BCE. Prior to that time, Daoist beliefs were known as "the teachings of the [[Yellow Emperor]] and Lao Tzu" or as "the teachings of Lao Tzu and [[Zhuangzi]]." As the name Lao Tzu, or Laozi, is not in fact a name but simply means "the old master," it remains unclear as to whether this old master was a specific individual historical figure, or if so, who he was.
Taoism has been interpreted and applied in many ways over the centuries, as political philosophy, as personal philosophy, and as a set of spiritual beliefs and practices involving meditation & self-cultivation. It has also come to be a catch-all category for anything in Chinese tradition (especially religion) that is neither [[Confucianism|Confucianist]] or [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], leading many folk deities such as [[Tenpi|Mazu]] and [[Guan Yu]] to be identified as "Taoist" deities. This has begun to fall out of favor with scholars, however, who emphasize the distinction and separation between folk religion, and the specific philosophies and worldviews that come out of the teachings of Laozi and [[Zhuangzi]].
The text is believed to have first appeared in the 3rd century BCE, though the term "Taoism" did not become common until the 2nd century BCE. Prior to that time, Daoist beliefs were known as "the teachings of the [[Yellow Emperor]] and Lao Tzu" or as "the teachings of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi." As the name Lao Tzu, or Laozi, is not in fact a name but simply means "the old master," it remains unclear as to whether this old master was a specific individual historical figure, or if so, who he was.
The oldest copies of the text are two copies found in a 1973 archaeological excavation at [[Mawangdui]] in [[Hunan province]], dating to the Former [[Han Dynasty]] (c. 206 BCE to [[8]] CE). The contents of these copies of the text are arranged in a different order from what has traditionally become standard, and so to distinguish these texts from the standard traditional version, these Mawangdui copies are known as the ''Dédàojīng'' instead of the ''Dàodéjīng''.
The oldest copies of the text are two copies found in a 1973 archaeological excavation at [[Mawangdui]] in [[Hunan province]], dating to the Former [[Han Dynasty]] (c. 206 BCE to [[8]] CE). The contents of these copies of the text are arranged in a different order from what has traditionally become standard, and so to distinguish these texts from the standard traditional version, these Mawangdui copies are known as the ''Dédàojīng'' instead of the ''Dàodéjīng''.
