1. Introduction

Is the essence more real or the phenomenon more real? This has long been a major issue in the history of philosophy. Essentialism holds that science and philosophy should see essence through phenomena, which are changeable and false, while essence is stable and real. The theories of Plato and Hegel are the representatives of Essentialism. However, Anti-essentialism has occupied the mainstream position in modern philosophy. Marxism also holds that we should seek truth from facts. Taiji Evolutionism holds that both Essentialism and Anti-essentialism have serious problems. This paper will criticize them thoroughly and expound whether essence is true and its value. On this basis, Neo-essentialism is constructed.

2. The Source of Abstract Things

2.1 National Character

Before the start of the Korean War, MacArthur thought the Chinese national character was servile, timid and selfish. As a result, MacArthur, who was widely regarded as a God, ended his military career with the biggest fall. Now we can proudly say that the national character of Chinese people is brave, tenacious, intelligent and industrious. The world's perception of the Chinese national character was completely changed by the Korean War.

Why can the same people have two completely opposite national characters? Which of them is true? Both are true, so to speak, and neither is true. What we call the national character is not an abstract thing that exists in the objective world, but a kind of understanding that is abstractly summarized after we observe the thoughts and behaviors of one by one specific person. The observation of different thoughts and behaviors leads to different understandings. Therefore, what we call national character is only a kind of consciousness existing in the subjective world of human beings. People often mistake the consciousness in the subjective world for the real thing in the objective world.

MacArthur's assumptions about the national character of Chinese are based on many objective facts of the past. Although the facts had changed by 1950, MacArthur's assumption had not, but he could only base his decisions on that assumption. Each of us has many assumptions about the world around us, and many of these assumptions are wrong. But the decisions we make every day can only be based on these assumptions. We cannot base our decisions on the objective world itself. However, these assumptions may become more objective, more complex and more orderly, allowing us to make more and more correct decisions. The regulation, commonality and essence of what philosophers say are complex and orderly assumptions. Because they are assumptions, they may be false, but our decisions and practices need them.

2.2 Tao is In Shit

When we say pencils can write, we mean that all pencils can write. When we say people have emotions and desires, we mean that all people have emotions and desires. People, pencils, and other things are abstract concepts.

Starting with Laozi and Plato, philosophers had constructed abstract objective worlds. Plato believed that abstract things are real and objective beings. An abstract pen exists just like a concrete pen. But this abstract pen is neither in your hand nor mine. So where is it? Plato didn't know, but he was convinced that it was somewhere, probably up in the sky. In fact, the abstract things he talked about were all in man's imagination, in man's mind.