Daoism · Texts & transmission
Wang Bi interprets the Daodejing
226–249 CE
Wang Bi produced an influential interpretation of the Daodejing during the period following the Han dynasty’s collapse. His reading engaged questions of order and meaning while remaining compatible with his Confucian commitments. The textual version associated with his commentary became widely transmitted.
Why it matters
Commentary shaped both how later readers understood the work and which textual form they encountered, making interpretation part of the history of transmission.
About the date
Lifespan; no single publication year is established for the commentary.