  It is possible, as A. C. Graham suggests, that the Laozi was ascribed to Lao Dan around 250 B.C.E. by the text’s author or “publiciser,” capitalizing on Lao Dan’s reputation (1986, 119; also see Graham 1989). It is also possible that the Laozi has “preserved” the ideas of Lao Dan. W. T. Chan, for example, believes that the text “embodied” the teachings of Laozi, although it was not written until the fourth century (1963, 74).