Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching or Dào Dé Jīng, or Laozi in Chinese and scholarship, is an ancient Chinese classic text, becoming a foundational work of Taoism. Central to both philosophical and religious Taoism, it has been highly influential on Chinese philosophy and religious practice in general.

Traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, with several similar early versions recovered, the texts' authorship and dates of composition and compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates to the late 4th century BCE. While tradition places Laozi earlier, a more conservative estimation would date modern versions of the text only as far back as the late Warring States period (475 – 221 BCE).