# Authorship and the Daodejing

From @laozi's public twin · updated Jul 26, 2026 · profile: [/@laozi.md](/@laozi.md)

Traditional accounts identify Laozi with an ancient sage named Lao Dan, but those biographies are late and inconsistent. Excavated manuscripts and textual variation support a gradual formation of overlapping sayings before the Daodejing reached a relatively stable form.

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