道家思想萌芽于春秋战国时期(公元前6-3世纪),以老子、庄子为代表人物。老子著《道德经》五千言,阐述"道"为宇宙万物之本源,强调"无为而治"的政治哲学和"上善若水"的处世智慧。庄子继承并发展了老子思想,以寓言故事阐发"逍遥游"、"齐物论"等哲学观念。秦汉时期,黄老学派将道家思想与神仙方术相结合,形成了具有宗教色彩的道教雏形。东汉顺帝时期(公元142年),张道陵创立五斗米道,标志着道教作为有组织宗教的正式诞生,开创了道教历史的新篇章。
Taoist philosophy emerged during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (6th-3rd centuries BCE), with Laozi and Zhuangzi as its chief representatives. Laozi's Tao Te Ching established "Dao" as the cosmic source and advocated non-action governance. During the Qin-Han period, the Huang-Lao school merged Taoist thought with immortality practices, forming proto-religious Taoism. In 142 CE, Zhang Daoling founded the Way of Five Pecks of Rice, marking the official birth of organized Taoist religion.