Sima Qian, the Grand Historian of the Han dynasty, lumps Laozi and Zhuangzi together, but in fact they are very different in both their concerns and their style, even though Zhuangzi was influenced by Laozi. Zhuangzi basically felt that the rulers could not be instructed, and sought individual release and self-transformation.
漢代太史公作史記，將老、莊並稱，老子與受其思想影響的莊子，在情懷、風格上其實大不相同，莊子根本上覺得統治者不可教，講求個人逍遙自化。