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Why do scholars doubt that Laozi alone wrote the Daodejing?
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Taoism
Questions and answers about the religio-philosophical Chinese tradition of Taoism.
Modern scholars widely discount the possibility that the Daodejing was written by a single author, such as the legendary figure Laozi. Instead, the text is generally considered to have been composed by many hands over a significant period.12
Several factors support this conclusion:
- Textual Inconsistency: The Daodejing contains sayings that vary in origin; while some may date back to the time of Confucius, others are clearly of a later period.1
- Historical Obscurity: The traditional biography of Laozi, primarily sourced from Sima Qianβs Shiji, is considered largely legendary and lacks reliable historical evidence.12
- Archaeological Evidence: The discovery of versions of the text, such as the find at Guodian dating to before 300 BCE, suggests a complex evolution of the writing rather than a single act of authorship.1
Ultimately, many scholars believe the name "Laozi" represents a type of sage or a tradition of recluses rather than a specific historical individual who authored the entire work.1