The classic of the Way and of High Virtue is the Tao Teh Ching. Its author is generally held as a contemporary of Confucius, Lao Tzu, or Laozi. The exact date of the book’s origin is disputed. The book is divided into two parts, the Upper Part and the Lower Part. The Upper Part consists of chapters 1-37, and each chapter begins with the word “Tao,” or the Way. The Lower Part consists of chapters 38-81, and each chapter begins with the words “Shang Teh,” or High Virtue. This 1919 edition names the Lower Part as the Wu Wei, or translated variously as “not doing,” “non-ado,” or “non-assertion...

Lao-Tzu, also known as Laozi was a Chinese philosopher believed to have lived in the 6th century BCE and is credited with writing the Tao-Te-Ching which centers around the idea that the way of virtue lies in simplicity and a recognition of a natural, universal force known as the Tao. He is traditionally regarded as the founder of Taoism. This book is a compilation of his most profound writings translated directly from ancient Chinese texts. - Summary by Nemo