relevant knowledge

Necessity and contingency are a pair of philosophical categories, which reveal two different trends in the development of things.

I. Definition of categories

1, inevitability is an inevitable trend in the process of things' existence and development.

For example, people always want to die; As trees are, so are fruits. Inevitability depends on the fundamental contradiction within things.

2. Chance is a variety of possible and uncertain trends in the process of things' existence and development.

For example, people die in various ways, some people die naturally, and some people die unnaturally; How many melons can one seedling bear? Chance depends on the non-fundamental contradiction and external conditions of things.

Second, dialectical relationship.

The relationship between inevitability and contingency is unity of opposites.

1, opposite (difference)

Inevitability is the definite trend of the development of things and is in a dominant position;

Chance is an uncertain trend in the development of things and is in a subordinate position.

2, unified (contact)

First, interdependence.

(1) inevitability is inseparable from contingency, and inevitability is expressed through contingency;

The inevitability that people always want sǐ is shown by various accidental ways of sǐ' s death.

(2) contingency and inevitability are inseparable, and inevitability is hidden behind contingency.

The contingency of detecting corruption cases implies the inevitability of "reaching out and being caught".

Second, mutual transformation.

(1) In the historical evolution, accidental things become inevitable things, and inevitable things become accidental things.

For example, commodity exchange was accidental when it began to appear at the end of primitive society. Later it became an inevitable economic phenomenon.

Less hair (accidental) → less hair (inevitable) → hairy (accidental)

② In different relationships, the same phenomenon is inevitable in one relationship and accidental in another.

Third, the practical significance.

1. Seize the opportunity by accidentally knowing the necessity.

Lysenko: "Opportunity is the enemy of science." ×

French scientist Pasteur: "In the field of observation, opportunities favor those who are prepared." √

Samuel Byrne, a Swiss chemist, accidentally broke a crucible containing a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid and wiped it with his wife's apron, causing an explosion, thus inventing nitrocellulose explosives.

2. Transform the world with necessity and gain freedom.

Freedom is the understanding of inevitability and the transformation of the objective world.