The Lao Tzu is the principal classic in the thought of Taoism. Lao Tzu (whose name means 'Old Master') was an older contemporary of Confucius. Lao Tzu was a Chinese philosopher and founder of the Taoist religion in China. He worked as a librarian at the court of Chou. When the kingdom showed signs of decay, Lao Tzu left and was never heard of again. While traditionally ascribed to Lao Tzu, this work is more probably an anthology of wise sayings compiled in about the fourth century BC. As a treatise both on personal conduct and on government, it is moral rather than mystical in tone, and advances a philosophy of meekness as the surest path to survival.