Early Shang Dynasty thought was based upon cycles. This notion stems from what the people of the Shang Dynasty
could observe around them: day and night cycled, the seasons progressed
again and again, and even the moon waxed and waned until it waxed
again. Thus, this notion, which remained relevant throughout Chinese history, reflects the order of nature. In juxtaposition, it also marks a fundamental distinction[weasel words] from western philosophy, in which the dominant view of time is a linear progression[vague]. During the Shang, fate could be manipulated by great deities, commonly translated as gods.[vague] Ancestor worship was present and universally recognized. There was also human and animal sacrifice.
When the Shang were overthrown by the Zhou, a new political, religious and philosophical concept was introduced called the "Mandate of Heaven".
This mandate was said to be taken when rulers became unworthy of their
position and provided a shrewd justification for Zhou rule. During this
period, archaeological evidence points to an increase in literacy and a
partial shift away from the faith placed in Shangdi (the Supreme Being in traditional Chinese religion), with ancestor worship becoming commonplace and a more worldly orientation coming to the fore.
Confucianism developed during the Spring and Autumn period from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius
(551–479 BCE), who considered himself a retransmitter of Zhou values.
His philosophy concerns the fields of ethics and politics, emphasizing
personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships,
justice, traditionalism, and sincerity. The Analects stress the
importance of ritual, but also the importance of 'ren', which loosely
translates as 'human-heartedness, Confucianism, along with Legalism, is responsible for creating the world’s first meritocracy, which holds that one's status should be determined by education and character rather than ancestry, wealth, or friendship. Confucianism was and continues to be a major influence in Chinese culture, the state of China and the surrounding areas of Southeast Asia.
Before the Han dynasty the largest rivals to Confucianism were Chinese Legalism, and Mohism. Confucianism largely became the dominant philosophical school of China during the early Han Dynasty following the replacement of its contemporary, the more Taoistic Huang-Lao.[5] 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 until the end of Imperial rule during the Xinhai Revolution.
Mohism, though initially popular due to its emphasis on brotherly love versus harsh Qin Legalism, fell out of favour during the Han Dynasty due to the efforts of Confucians in establishing their views as political orthodoxy. The Six Dynasties era saw the rise of the Xuanxue philosophical school and the maturation of Chinese Buddhism, which had entered China from India during the Late Han Dynasties. By the time of the Tang dynasty
five-hundred years after Buddhism's arrival into China, it had
transformed into a thoroughly Chinese religious philosophy dominated by
the school of Zen Buddhism. Neo-Confucianism became highly popular during the Song dynasty and Ming Dynasty due in large part to the eventual combination of Confucian and Zen Philosophy.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, Chinese philosophy integrated concepts from Western philosophy. Anti-Qing Dynasty revolutionaries, involved in the Xinhai Revolution, saw Western philosophy as an alternative to traditional philosophical schools; students in the May Fourth Movement
called for completely abolishing the old imperial institutions and
practices of China. During this era, Chinese scholars attempted to
incorporate Western philosophical ideologies such as democracy, Marxism, socialism, liberalism, republicanism, anarchism and nationalism into Chinese philosophy. The most notable examples are Sun Yat-Sen's Three Principles of the People ideology and Mao Zedong's Maoism, a variant of Marxism–Leninism.In the modern People's Republic of China, the official ideology is Deng Xiaoping's "market economy socialism".
Although the People's Republic of China has been historically hostile
to the philosophy of ancient China, the influences of past are still
deeply ingrained in the Chinese culture. In the post-Chinese economic reform era, modern Chinese philosophy has reappeared in forms such as the New Confucianism. As in Japan,
philosophy in China has become a melting pot of ideas. It accepts new
concepts, while attempting also to accord old beliefs their due. Chinese
philosophy still carries profound influence amongst the people of East Asia, and even Southeast Asia.
Well-conducted, and with good health status.
1. Application Form
Please upload your finished application form here.
2. Health certificate
Photocopy of notarized foreigner physical examination record (for durations of study over 6 months)
3. Financial support statement
Official Bank Statement(equivalent to RMB150,000.00)
4. Resume
Written in Chinese or in English
5. Study plan
Study plan (on less than 800 words in English or Chinese)
6. Commitment Letter
[only for Confucius Scholarship]Commitment
Letter in Chinese with your signature. The applicant will be engaged in
Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation (written
in Chinese and signed)
7. Passport photo
A recent passport-sized photo of the applicant
8. Certificate of HSK
Certificate of HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test)
9. Photocopy of valid passport
With name, passport number & expiration date, and photo included
10. Certificate/diploma of highest education
Graduation certificate in languages other
than Chinese or English should be translated into Chinese or English and
be certified by notarization.
11. Academic transcript of highest education
A photocopy of the transcript
Applicants should offer a photocopies of their notarized final schooling
certificate and school report in Chinese or English version.
12. Two letters of recommendation
From professor or associate professor or equivalents
13. Personal Statement
Written in Chinese (1000 words for Master
Degree candidate and 1500 words for Doctor Degree candidate). Should
present education background, work experience, academic research
results, research proposal, and personal development plan and etc.
14. Copy of article or papers published
The indexes and abstracts of published theses/dissertation or other materials to prove applicant's research ability.
Answer: ACASC charges a service fee of 50$ for using its online application portal. Applying through ACASC into Chinese universities attracts a service fee of $50.
Answer: Yes. ACASC gives the applicants, the chance to directly apply to their desired universities through our online application portal. We have synchronized our system to create a simple platform that connects universities and colleges in China to international students all around the world.
Answer: To track the application status, please log in your ACASC personal account. Whenever there’s an update, you will be informed on your application status through ACASC system within a day as soon as we receive university’s notification. You will simultaneously receive ACASC auto-email about the application status. To directly inquire about your application status, feel free to send us an email to admission@acasc.cn and our team will keep you updated.
Answer: When an application is pending a decision it means that your school has received it and no admissions decision has been made yet. The admissions office may have reviewed your application package or may not have.
The main cause of a pending application is usually incomplete application documents. As a result you will be requested by the school’s admission office to re-check and modify all submitted application documents or perhaps even add extra documents and then re-submit them.
To avoid further delays, carefully read the university’s comments, modify your application form on ACASC, and re-upload the required application documents. You can contact ACASC on admission@acasc.cn for any help with regards to your pending application
Processing time varies for different applications. For example to process a degree program application requires more time than a Chinese language application. Confirmation for Chinese language application by the admission office usually takes 2 to 4 weeks. However, time for degree programs application differs. For example fall semester application processing is after March, and it takes a period of 1 to 2 months. This also depends on your qualification and the number of applicants.
