What is the name of the Taoist text attributed to Laozi?

The Taoist text traditionally attributed to Laozi is the Tao Te Ching, also written Daodejing or Dào Dé Jīng. Its title is commonly translated as “The Classic of the Way and Its Power” or “The Book of the Way and Virtue.”

The work is a foundational text of both philosophical and religious Taoism. Its brief, poetic chapters explore the Dao, simplicity, naturalness, humility, political restraint, and wu wei—action that avoids forceful interference. The text is traditionally divided into 81 chapters and two sections: the Dao Jing and the De Jing.

Although Laozi remains the traditional author, modern scholarship treats the authorship and compilation history as debated. The received work likely developed over time, and excavated manuscripts from Mawangdui and Guodian show that early versions circulated in different forms. The Tao Te Ching is therefore best described as traditionally attributed to Laozi, not as an authorial certainty. It is also sometimes called simply the Laozi.