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Secondary sourceBookearly 4th century CE

Shenxian Zhuan

Ge Hong · early 4th century CE

A 4th-century hagiography by Ge Hong presenting Laozi as an immortal deity who reappears throughout history, reflecting his later religious status.

This hagiography recasts Laozi as an immortal deity, showing his transformation from philosopher to religious figure.

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About this source

What it is

The Shenxian Zhuan ('Biographies of Divine Immortals') is a collection of hagiographies compiled by the Jin-dynasty scholar Ge Hong in the early 4th century. It gathers stories of immortals and deities, many drawn from earlier sources.

Why it matters

The text treats Laozi not as a historical philosopher but as an immortal being who returns throughout history. This marks an important shift: centuries after his supposed life, Laozi had become a religious figure worshipped within Taoism, rather than simply a thinker whose sayings were recorded.

Look closer

  • What does it mean for a philosopher to later be treated as a god?
  • Why might Ge Hong, writing centuries later, have wanted to describe Laozi as an immortal?
  • How reliable can a story be about someone who supposedly lived hundreds of years earlier?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Laozi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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