Laozi is a human whose existence is disputed[1]. He was born on January 1, 604 BC[2], in Chu[3]. He died on 500 BC[4]. He worked as a philosopher[5], archivist[6], writer[7], and Taoist[8]. He ranks in the top 0.98% of human whose existence is disputed entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (17,653 views/month, #3 of 306).[9]
The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.
Things named for Laozi include 7854 Laotse[37], an asteroid[38].
Why It Matters
Laozi has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[39] He is known by 78 alternative names across languages and contexts.[40]
He has been cited as an influence by Ursula K. Le Guin[41], a writer[42], 1929–2018[43], of United States[44], awarded the Margaret Edwards Award[45], specialised in fiction[46]; Erich Fromm[47], a university teacher[48], 1900–1980[49], of German Empire[50], awarded the Humanist of the Year[51], specialised in philosophy[52]; Emil Cioran[53], a philosopher[54], 1911–1995[55], of Romania[56], awarded the Prix Rivarol[57], specialised in philosophy[58]; and Zhuang Zhou[59], a philosopher[60], -0369–-0288[61], of Song[62], specialised in philosophy[63].
Works attributed to him include Tao Te Ching[64], a literary work[65] and Qingjing Jing[66], a text[67]. Entities named for him include 7854 Laotse[37], an asteroid[38].
Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.
APA4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Laozi. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/laozi
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