A pair of categories that reveals the inner connection and outward appearance of things and their relation. Things have the two aspects of essence and phenomena, are the unity of essence and phenomenon. Essence is the fundamental nature of things, the inner connection between the elements that constitute things. The essence of things is determined by their internal contradictions. There are different levels of essence, such as primary essence, secondary essence, etc. Man’s knowledge of things always moves from the individual to the particular and then to the general. In contrast to the individual, the particular is the essence hidden behind individual phenomena, and by moving from the individual to the particular, knowledge moves from the phenomena to the essence; by rising further from the particular to the general, knowledge moves from the primary essence of things to the secondary essence. Phenomenon is the external connection and apparent features of things, and is their outward appearance of the essence. A phenomenon can be distinguished into truth and semblance. At first glance, semblance is inconsistent with, or even contrary to, the essence, but in fact, truth and semblance are both forms of appearance of the essence. The truth expresses the essence in an immediate form, and the semblance expresses the essence in a particular form, which is caused by the various conditions that actually exist…
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