Program overview
Foreign philosophy, simply put, is the study of the history of Western philosophy, modern Western philosophy, and comparative Chinese-Western philosophy. At the graduate level, you will systematically study philosophical schools from ancient Greece to the present, such as Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, and also engage with core courses like analytic philosophy, phenomenology, and existentialism. Chinese universities have a unique advantage in this field: many professors have overseas study backgrounds, courses are often taught bilingually in Chinese and English, and there is a special emphasis on dialogue between Chinese and Western philosophies—for example, using Confucian thought to respond to Western ethical issues. Who is this suitable for? If you enjoy asking "why," are accustomed to reading hefty original texts, are curious about Western culture, and are willing to explore philosophical thinking from a Chinese perspective, this major will suit you well. Additionally, some top Chinese universities (such as Peking University, Fudan University, and Renmin University) have a certain international reputation in foreign philosophy, with rich foreign language resources in their libraries and frequent academic lectures, allowing you to connect with many international scholars.