What is a phenomenon? Phenomenon is the external expression of essence and the external form in the process of development and change of things. Phenomenon always stays on the surface of things, which is intuitive. For example, trees have flowers, branches, leaves, roots, stems, stems, roots, colors, shapes and postures. Trees have different leaves, such as needles, arrow leaves, palm leaves and fan leaves. Because phenomena are things that stay on the surface of things, things that can be directly perceived by human sensory organs, and they can be directly contacted by sensory organs such as ears, eyes, nose and tongue. Some phenomena, such as microscopic phenomena, can not be directly perceived by human sensory organs, but people can perceive them with the help of observation instruments, such as cell division, atomic fission, light radiation and so on.

Phenomena are various, including normal and abnormal phenomena, inevitable and accidental phenomena, truth and illusion, and so on. Don't be satisfied with only knowing the phenomenon of things, but also knowing the essence of things through phenomena.

The essence is for the phenomenon. Essence is not another special thing outside the phenomenon, but something that exists inside the phenomenon and runs through all aspects of the phenomenon. Essence is the fundamental nature of things, the basis or internal reason for the development and existence of things, the special internal connection that constitutes the basic elements of things, and is determined by the special contradictions within things. Things and their processes will not end until the fundamental contradiction of things is solved. The difference between essence and phenomenon is roughly as follows:

First, the phenomenon is external and the essence is internal.

Phenomena are exposed on the surface of things, such as size, position, shape, image, hardness, weight, color, characteristics, etc., and our senses can intuitively identify them; The essence is hidden, deeply hidden in things, and our senses can't directly perceive it, only rational thinking analysis can grasp it. For example, "water flows downwards" and "apples fall to the ground" are natural phenomena that people can see with their eyes, but the essential laws of gravity they reflect cannot be understood by intuition, and can only be grasped by abstract thinking on the basis of perceptual knowledge.

When we say that essence is hidden and cannot be perceived by human intuition, we don't mean that essence is unknowable. People can reveal and grasp the essence of things through abstract thinking and phenomena.

Second, the phenomenon is changeable, perishable, mobile and relatively calm and stable.

Why is the essence calm and stable, but the phenomenon is changeable?

This is because the essence of things is determined by the internal contradictions of things, and only when the internal contradictions are fundamentally solved will the essence of things change fundamentally; And phenomenon is the expression of internal contradictions of things. The internal contradictions of things are always carried out under certain external conditions, and the variability of external conditions affects the variability of phenomena.

Third, phenomena are richer and more vivid than essence, while essence is deeper and more comprehensive.

Because phenomena are external, changing and individual things, their essence is internal, stable and general things. So the phenomenon is much richer in nature. The phenomenon is ever-changing and changeable. The essence of phenomenon expression is varied, and so are the forms of expression. Some phenomena show the essence in twists and turns, while others show the essence more directly; Some phenomena truly express the essence, while others distort it. These situations appear because nothing exists in isolation, but is linked with different things around, interacting and influencing each other, resulting in the diversity of things and phenomena.

The essence of anything must be shown through certain phenomena, and any phenomenon shows the essence of things from a specific aspect. In real life, there is no pure phenomenon divorced from the essence, and there is no pure phenomenon divorced from the essence. Phenomenon and essence are two inseparable aspects that constitute the unity of objective things. However, after all, phenomena are only superficial things of personalization, and only the essence can reveal the internal relations behind each phenomenon. To know things, don't just be satisfied with the phenomenon, but also know the essence of things through the phenomenon. Understanding the essence of things is to deepen the understanding of things. Only by understanding the essence of things can we distinguish different things and have a correct understanding of things.

Understanding the essence of things is a deepening of understanding things, and people's understanding of the essence of things is also a deepening process. Understanding the essence begins with studying a large number of phenomena. Due to the diversity of phenomena, there are normal phenomena and abnormal phenomena, inevitable phenomena and accidental phenomena, true images and false images. Only after a certain period of observation, analysis and research on a large number of phenomena and materials can we correctly grasp the essence of things.

Philosophical methods to understand the essence of things include: analytical and comprehensive methods and comparative methods.

Analytical synthesis is a method to determine the essence of things by studying the elements of things and their relationships. The essence is determined by the contradiction between the constituent elements of things. Analysis is to decompose the whole thing into various elements and aspects, and synthesis is to organically unify all elements and aspects into a whole on the basis of analysis. Through analysis and synthesis, we can understand all the elements and all aspects of the elements that constitute the whole thing, as well as their respective positions and functions in the whole, and understand their mutual relations and connections, so as to understand and grasp the essence of things as a whole.

Comparison is another way to know the essence. As mentioned above, essence is the fundamental difference between things and other things. Only by comparison can there be differences. By comparison, we can find out the similarities and differences between things, so as to find problems and understand the essence of things.

To make a correct comparison, we should pay attention to the comparability between things, whether things can be compared, and whether the basis and conditions for comparison are the same. Only by comparing things with their closest things can we find the essence of things. Otherwise, irrelevant things, or the same things, can only be more confusing and confusing according to different conditions. Hegel said:

"If a person can see the obvious difference at present, for example, can distinguish a pen from a camel, we won't say that this person has great intelligence. Similarly, on the other hand, a person can compare two similar things, such as an oak tree and a locust tree, or a temple and a church, and we can't say that he has high comparative ability. What we need is to be able to see the same in the difference and see the difference in the same.