Definition of synthesis
Definition of synthesis
What is synthesis?
The term synthesis comes from the Greek “synthesis” (meeting). It is a mental operation which consists in bringing together in a whole, the various differences of knowledge of a domain.
Synthesis is a mental operation which consists of starting from simple elements to end up with complex elements, isolated elements to end up with a coherent whole, from the cause to the effects.
The term synthesis has several meanings depending on the field in which it is used: literature, biology, chemistry, surgery, philosophy. In biology and biochemistry, synthesis is the process of manufacturing the various substances that the organism needs for its development and survival.
In chemistry, synthesis is an operation by which simple bodies are combined to obtain complex compounds, useful for the production of industrial, pharmaceutical or chemical products.
In surgery, synthesis is the operation of bringing together the parts of a wound or the fragments of a broken bone.
In philosophy and logic, synthesis is a new notion resulting from the combination of the content of the thesis and the anti-thesis for a better understanding.
In mathematics and logic, we speak of rational synthesis which is a deductive and rational method consisting in determining new propositions from certain propositions. The new determined propositions are the logical and necessary consequence of the certain propositions.
Synthesis of a text
The synthesis of a text is an objective account of a text which is characterized by its objectivity (neutrality: one does not give one's point of view), its conciseness (patented) and follows a logical order. The synthesis of a text can concern a written text (literary, journalistic…) or representations (photographs, cartoons, statistical tables, etc.).
The different parts of the synthesis of a text
A comprehensive test generally consists of three essential parts: introduction, development and conclusion. The introduction arouses the reader's interest, presents the themes addressed and the documents to be synthesized. It also indicates the outline of the synthesis, as is done for an essay.
Thus, the introduction includes a brief hook on the developed theme; a presentation of the text (s); the formulation of the problem; the statement of the plan of the synthesis.
Development is the central part of the synthesis, it consists of two or three parts which deal with a single main idea in each of them. The main idea of each part of the development can be broken down into secondary ideas. You can also use logical connectors to make the transition between different parts of the text.
The conclusion is the final part of the synthesis, it usually has two parts: an objective conclusion and a subjective conclusion. The objective conclusion serves to provide some answers to the issues raised in the introduction, while remaining within the limits of the content or the source texts.
The subjective conclusion allows you to go beyond the content of the source text, that is to say, it allows you to give your opinion on the source document, in a concise way.
Updated 02/12/2021
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