Abstract: Because the relationship between criminal essence and essential feature of crime has not been made clear,the issue of criminal essence itself is avoided,and all the views on essential feature of crime proposed are not convincible in civil theory of criminal law.From philosophy,criminal essence is the internal aspect which decides essential feature of crime,while essential feature of crime embodies criminal essence.From the internal connection and structure of constitution of crime and goal and function of punishment,criminal essence should be an offender’s attitude to social order,while from the difference between crime and general violation against law,essential feature of crime should be punitive.