Chinese philosophy (simplified Chinese: 中国哲学; traditional Chinese: 中國哲學) refers to the philosophical traditions that originated and developed within the historical and cultural context of China. It encompasses systematic reflections on issues such as existence, knowledge, ethics, and politics. Evolving over more than two millennia, Chinese philosophy includes classical traditions such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as well as modern responses to Western philosophical currents. As a cultural form of philosophy, it addresses universal philosophical concerns while also reflecting the specific historical and social conditions of China.

The historical development of Chinese philosophy began during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, a time known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought". Major schools such as Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, and Legalism emerged with distinct views on human nature, social order, and political authority. During the Han dynasty, Confucianism was established as the official ideology, shaping China's intellectual and political systems for centuries. In subsequent eras, Chinese philosophy integrated influences from Indian Buddhism, giving rise to new developments such as Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties. In the modern period, Chinese thinkers engaged with Western thought, resulting in the emergence of Three Principles of the People, Chinese Marxism, New Confucianism, and other philosophical movements. Throughout the 20th century, these traditions were reshaped by political upheaval and continue to evolve today.

Chinese philosophy, like other philosophical traditions, engages with fundamental questions in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. Thinkers across various schools explored debates about the nature of human goodness, the source of moral knowledge, and the foundations of social order. Confucianism emphasizes ethical cultivation and political responsibility; Daoism advocates a life in accordance with nature and spontaneity; and Buddhist and Neo-Confucian thinkers developed detailed theories of consciousness and moral practice. Beyond abstract theorizing, Chinese philosophy has played a significant role in shaping Chinese education, governance, and cultural life. In the modern era, Chinese philosophers continue to reinterpret classical ideas while engaging with global philosophical discourse.

Chinese philosophy has exerted significant influence across East Asia. Buddhist thought and Neo-Confucian philosophy spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, where they shaped local intellectual and educational traditions. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Confucianism attracted the interest of European Enlightenment thinkers—often through idealized or inaccurate interpretations—which nonetheless played a role in debates about reason, morality, and secular governance. In the contemporary era, Chinese philosophy is gaining greater visibility in global academia, though challenges remain regarding its integration into broader philosophical discourse beyond cultural or regional frameworks.

The development of Chinese philosophy began in earnest during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (c. 770–221 BCE), an era later known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought" (诸子百家). Thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Han Fei, and Xunzi laid the foundations for enduring traditions like Confucianism (儒家), Daoism (道家), Mohism (墨家), and Legalism (法家). These schools addressed questions of ethics, governance, human nature, and the ideal social order, reflecting the intellectual ferment of a politically fragmented age. Legalism as a coherent philosophy disappeared largely due to its relationship with the unpopular authoritarian rule of Qin Shi Huang. However, many of its ideas and institutions would continue to influence Chinese philosophy throughout the Han dynasty and after.

During the early Han dynasty, these competing traditions began to merge in practice, but it was not until the reign of Emperor Wu (141–87 BCE) that Confucianism, through the work of Dong Zhongshu, was officially adopted as state ideology. This institutionalization of a mysticized form of Confucianism, infused with cosmological elements from Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories (阴阳五行)—often summarized as "rejecting the Hundred Schools, honoring Confucianism alone" (罢黜百家，独尊儒术)—would shape Chinese education, bureaucracy, and political thought for centuries. Daoism, meanwhile, developed into an organized religion, while Buddhism (佛教) entered China from India and gained increasing prominence in the centuries that followed.

Buddhism entered China during the Han dynasty and developed into a major philosophical force through the translation efforts of figures like Kumārajīva and Xuanzang, who introduced Madhyamaka (中观) and Yogācāra (唯识) thought, which profoundly influenced Chinese metaphysics, epistemology, and soteriology. In the 5th–7th centuries, Indian monk Bodhidharma transmitted the foundations of Chan (Zen) Buddhism (禅宗), which was later transformed by Huineng into a distinctly Chinese tradition emphasizing sudden awakening (顿悟) and direct experience. Over time, Buddhist metaphysics and moral psychology significantly influenced Daoist thought and provoked Confucian responses, laying the groundwork for later syntheses such as Neo-Confucianism.

Beginning in the mid-Tang dynasty, certain scholars with a strong sense of cultural identity initiated efforts to revive Confucianism in response to what they perceived as moral nihilism in Buddhism. Han Yu was a leading figure in this movement; he criticized Buddhist monastics for being unproductive and for undermining the Confucian ethic of social responsibility. Following two major waves of Buddhist suppression (三武一宗灭佛) under Emperor Wuzong of Tang and Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, Buddhism's dominance in political and intellectual life declined. During the Song dynasty, Confucian scholar-officials critically absorbed elements of Buddhist and Daoist philosophy and practice, laying the foundations for what became Neo-Confucianism (宋明理学). Zhang Zai articulated a philosophy of qi (matter, 气) as the material basis of all existence. The Cheng brothers (Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi) emphasized li (principle, 理) and the necessity of internal cultivation to eliminate selfish desires and restore moral nature.