Essentialism is the view that things (objects, people, ideas, or categories) have some fixed, intrinsic nature or essence that makes them what they are. For example, believing that “gender,” “national identity,” or “human nature” have stable, universal qualities that exist independently of context.
Anti-essentialism (or emptiness) is the view that things do not have intrinsic essences. Instead, they are contingent, relational, and shaped by perspective and context. For example, “gender roles” or “national character” are seen as social constructions that change across cultures and histories, rather than fixed truths.