王充（27年－97年），字仲任，会稽上虞人，东汉哲学家。着有《讥俗节义》、《政务》、《论衡》、《养性》等书。但只有《论衡》保存下来。近人黄晖撰《论衡校释》30卷，是较为通行的版本。

王充是个极富争议的人物，历来评价两端。《四库全书总目提要》贬重于褒，认为：「其言多激……，露才扬己，好为物先，……然大抵订伪砭俗，中理者多，亦殊有裨于风教。」但最终认为《论衡》只是个谈助之书。章炳麟《检论》则褒重于贬，认为王充：「作为《论衡》，趣以正虚妄，审乡背，怀疑之论，分析百耑，有所发擿，不避上圣，汉得一人焉，足以振耻，至于今亦尟有能逮者也。」但也说他：「然善为锋芒摧陷，而无枢要足以持守，惟内心之不光颎，故言辩而无继。」二十世纪后半以来，由于王充的批判性文风与唯物色彩特别受到青睐，正面的评价几已呈一面倒的局势。

Wang Chong (Chinese:王充; pinyin:Wáng Chōng; Wade–Giles:Wang Ch'ung, 27–c. 100 AD), courtesy name Zhongren (仲任), was a Chinese philosopher active during the Han Dynasty. He developed a rational, secular, naturalistic and mechanistic account of the world and of human beings and gave a materialistic explanation of the origin of the universe. His main work was the Lùnhéng (論衡, "Critical Essays"). This book contained many theories involving early sciences of astronomy and meteorology, and Wang Chong was even the first in Chinese history to mention the use of the square-pallet chain pump, which became common in irrigation and public works in China thereafter. Wang also accurately described the process of the water cycle.