Facts and Figure
Learn moreThe School of Philosophy has an excellent faculty, which enables the school to attain world-class status. The school has 79 full-time faculty members, among whom there are 48 professors (which amounts to 61% of the total faculty), 23 associate professors (29% of the total faculty), and 8 assistant professors (10% of the total faculty). Included here are3 full-time foreign professors and 1 part-time foreign professors.
48
professors
23
associate professors
8
assistant professors
Brief introduction
The School of Philosophy at Renmin University of China is a key institution for philosophy education, research, policy consultation, and students cultivation in China. It currently has the largest number of faculty members and departments, including Marxist philosophy, Chinese philosophy, foreign philosophy, ethics, religious studies, philosophy of science and technology, aesthetics, logic, political philosophy, philosophy of management and .It also offers undergraduate programs in philosophy, political science, and economics (PPE),the master's degree program of "Applied Ethics", and the interdisciplinary discipline of Civilization Studies.On September 30, 2024, the Civilization Studies of Renmin University of China was successfully approved as the first-level discipline degree authorization of civilization Studies. The School of Philosophy takes the lead in building the discipline of civilization studies.The school has established two projects sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE) Project on Key Research Institutes in the Humanities and Social Sciences: the National Center for Ethics and Moral Development, and the Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Religious Theory. It also has a research platform "Renmin University of China Center for the Development of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy" and two interdisciplinary research centers, namely, "Philosophy and Cognitive Science" and "Modernization of National Governance and Applied Ethics."
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History
1937
The Shanbei Public School was established, and the school offers philosophy-related courses.
1939
North China United University was established, and the Department of Philosophy was set up under the Faculty of Social Sciences.
1948
North China University was established, and a Philosophy Research Office was set up. "Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism" became a compulsory course for all students.
1950
Renmin University of China officially started its classes, and the Marxism-Leninism Foundation Teaching and Research Office, as a non-departmental office, undertook the teaching of philosophy courses and Marxism-Leninism foundation courses for the entire university.
1952
The Philosophy Group of the Marxism-Leninism Teaching and Research Section was independently established as the Teaching and Research Office for Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism, offering a specialized Marxism-Leninism Research Program.
Departments
Marxist Philosophy
The Department of Marxist Philosophy was one of the earliest of such departments established after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It continues to be at the forefront on a range of topics, including the principles of Marxist philosophy, the history of Marxist philosophy, the sinicization of Marxist philosophy, historical materialism, foreign Marxist philosophy, and Marxist political philosophy.
Chinese Philosophy
The Department of Chinese Philosophy is one of the first institutions in China to provide doctoral and masters’ degrees in Chinese philosophy. It was established in the mid-1950s and its research covers a wide range of topics, including ancient Chinese philosophy, modern and contemporary Chinese philosophy, comparative philosophy between China and the West, traditional Chinese culture and modernization, and more.
Foreign Philosophy
The Department of Foreign Philosophy is a prominent institution in its field. It excels in and holds a leading position in China especially in ancient Greek philosophy, Medieval philosophy, Renaissance philosophy, early modern philosophy, German classical philosophy, phenomenology, modern French philosophy and analytical philosophy. The Chinese translations of The Complete Works of Aristotle and The Complete Works of Immanuel Kant have received wide acclaim. It has played a significant role in the development of the discipline of foreign philosophy at Renmin University of China.
Religious Studies
The Department of Religious Studies is a prestigious center for research on religion and education in China and internationally, consistently ranking as one of the leading institutes. It is the only program in China that is ranked among the top 50 globally in the field of religious studies. The program excels in the study of Buddhism, Christianity, and sociology of religion.
Ethics
The Department of Ethics was established in 1960. Professor Luo Guojie, the founder of the discipline, was a pioneer and founder of the study of modern Chinese ethics. Renmin University's Ethics department was among the first to be approved by the State Council's Academic Degrees Committee to provide master’s degrees in 1981 and doctoral degrees in 1984. In 2000, it was recognized as a Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences by the Ministry of Education and the National Center for the Study of Ethical and Moral Development was established. The Center includes research on Marxist ethics, Chinese ethics, Western ethics, applied ethics, bioethics and global folklore and culture.
Aesthetics
The Department of Aesthetics is one of the earliest of such departments established in China. It focuses primarily on the areas such as aesthetical theory, Chinese aesthetics, Western aesthetics, comparative aesthetics, and applied aesthetics. The department is renowned for its expertise in aesthetical theory, the history of Chinese aesthetics, the history of Western aesthetics, and cross-cultural comparative aesthetics, and it is considered one of the best in these fields in China.