Daoism · Texts & transmission
Sayings attributed to Laozi take shape
c. 5th–3rd centuries BCE
Collections of sayings attributed to Laozi circulated and developed before the received Daodejing stabilized. Scholars debate their chronology and authorship. The traditional image of a sixth-century sage is therefore distinct from the historical question of when surviving forms of the book emerged.
Why it matters
The reading collection presents a received text with a long history; its traditional author attribution should not be mistaken for a securely dated biography.
About the date
Approximate textual development; Laozi’s historicity and dates remain disputed.