Around 600 BC, Lao Tze was born in the region of China which we now refer to as Hunan. Nearly 200 years later, Socrates was born in Athens, Greece. In these two hundred years, Lao Tze's teachings spread across 5000 miles, as the crow flies, and influenced ancient Greece. This is evident in the writings and teachings of Socrates and Plato. There are many affinities between Taoist and Platonic philosophies, such as the preferred method of selecting leaders, …showed first 75 words of 1134 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1134 total…the termination of all attachment to material items in our lives. Conclusively, it's easy to see that the philosophies of Lao Tze and Plato, especially in the areas of anti-materialism, a desire to seek the ultimate truth, and leader selection, parallel each other with an astounding magnitude. It's hard to believe that in these days, two men 5000 miles apart from each other with totally different cultures could hold these beliefs to such a great extent.