Educational philosophy in China during the 20th century started with the introduction of John Dewey's educational philosophy thoughts, followed by the dissemination of Marxism thoughts of education, and initially established the framework of educational philosophy as an academic discipline. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, especially during the 1980s, under the guidance of Marxism, the discipline of educational philosophy has been maturing. While exploring China's history of educational philosophy, this article also covers contemporary Western development. Future trends of this discipline include extending specific fields of research, increasing internationalization of research, enhancing the functions of both critique and guiding ideals of educational philosophy.