Lao Tzu
He was the first philosopher of Taoism in the 5th century and is accredited to the Tao Te Ching, although modern scholars claim that it had more than one author. There are many legends about his life, but there is hardly any concrete information. He was a scholar and caretaker of sacred books at the royal court of the Zhou Dynasty. He is respected by Confucianists as a philosopher, the people of China as a god, and Taoists as a representative of the Tao.
Chuang Tzu
Though he was not as political as Laozi, he is still respected for his brilliant, satirical stories also known as the Chuang-tzu. He emphasizes the relevance of all ideas that are the basis of judgement and distinctions; he tries to solve all problems in identification with the universal Tao.