active 4th century B.C. Liezi

Tradition places Liezi, or Lie Yukou, in China during the 4th century BCE, and later readers counted him among the major early Daoist thinkers alongside Laozi and Zhuangzi. He is the presumed author of the Liezi, a classic work that helped shape the Daoist tradition.

At the same time, historians are cautious about how much can be known for certain. Reliable biographical evidence is very sparse, and some reference works note that parts of the book attributed to him appear to have been written much later. Because of that, Liezi is best understood as both a possibly historical philosopher and the figure around whom an important Daoist text was formed.

The Liezi is valued for its lively anecdotes and thought experiments, using stories to explore spontaneity, humility, naturalness, and freedom from rigid ambition. Whether readers come to it for philosophy, folklore, or practical wisdom, the name Liezi remains closely tied to one of the most approachable classics of Daoist writing.