Taoist school, also known as Daoist school, is a leading philosophical school founded in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC) as one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. It believed the Tao (the way) was the source and essence of the universe, giving it its name. It was originally called the "School of Tao Te" (as by Sima Tan in his  Essence of the Six Schools ), whereas its current name was adopted for the first time in the  Treatise on Literature  in the  Chronicles of the Han Dynasty . Leading Taoist philosophers include Laozi (the founder), Guan Yin, Zhuangzi, Peng Meng, and Tian Pian. The school respected the Tao as the source, essence, and general law of the universe. It believed that the "heavenly Tao does not force" and that the law of the "Tao is its being what it is." Based on this belief, Taoist philosophers advanced distinctive approaches to politics and war, such as actionless governance, valuing the gentle, guarding the tender, and using the soft to overcome the hard.