Who are historical figures of Taoism?

Answer 1

Lao Tzu is the key historical figure. Living sometimetime between the 6th and 2nd centuries B.C.E, he wrote the Tao Te Ching. A pretty cool book that stresses harmony and a paradoxical sense of control by letting go and being humble. It has some memorable lines like "yield you need not break" and a line that can be paraphrased as "be like water, close to the earth, always flowing, even when running into rocks by flowing around them." Taoism is sort of a counterpoint to Confucianism, which is a bit more focused on hierarchy and social obligation. The two, rather than collide, sort of complement each other. Kind of like there is a time for everything under the sun, a time to be an engaged Confucian, a time to be a more contemplative Taoist.

Answer 2

The main historical figures in Daoism are Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Chang Tzu. Confucius is famous for having been a great ethical and philosophical teacher in China. Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, which is thousands of years old. Chang Tzu's writings focus mainly on things that happened in history and interesting or unusual stories that were meant to illustrate a point for the reader. There are four main periods in Daoism, which are: the classical period, the period of becoming an organized religion, the modern period, and the contemporary period.