Analysis
Analysis has always been at the heart of philosophical method, but it has been understood and practised in many different ways. Perhaps, in its broadest sense, it might be defined as a process of identifying or working back to what is more fundamental by means of which something, initially taken as given, can be derived, explained or reconstructed. The derivation, explanation or reconstruction is sometimes conceived as the corresponding process of synthesis, but it is more often counted as part of the analytic project as a whole. This allows great variation in specific method, however. The aim may be to get back to basics and elucidate connections, but there may be all sorts of ways of doing this, each of which might be called ‘analysis’. The dominance of ‘analytic’ philosophy in the English-speaking world, and its growing influence in the rest of the world, might suggest that a consensus has formed concerning the role and importance of analysis. But this assumes that there is agreement on what ‘analysis’ means, and this is far from clear. Throughout the history of philosophy there have also been powerful criticisms of analysis, but these have always been to specific forms of analysis, which has only encouraged the development of newer forms. If we look at the history of philosophy, and even at just the history of (recent Western) analytic philosophy, we find a rich and extensive repertoire of conceptions and techniques of analysis which philosophers have continually drawn upon and modified in different ways. Analytic philosophy is thriving precisely because of the range of conceptions and techniques of analysis that it involves. It may have fragmented into various interlocking subtraditions and, increasingly, is now being ‘backdated’ and widened in scope to include earlier and contemporaneous traditions, but those subtraditions and related traditions are held together by their shared history and methodological interconnections. There are also forms of analysis in traditions clearly distinct from Western analytic philosophy, and these also need to be recognized and brought into debates about analytic methodologies, to open up new approaches and perspectives. It is the aim of this article to indicate something of the range of conceptions of analysis in the history of philosophy and their interconnections, as well as their role in understanding the history of philosophy itself, and to provide a bibliographical resource for those wishing to explore analytic methodologies and the philosophical issues they raise.
Read the rest here: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/analysis/
AI
At its core, analysis means taking something apart in order to understand it. The “something” can be a concept, a statement, an experience, a practice, or a historical phenomenon. What differs across philosophy is what is taken apart, how it is taken apart, and what counts as understanding.
Originally (Greek analysis), it meant working backward from what is given to its principles or conditions. That basic idea remains, but it has been practiced in very different ways.
Main ways “analysis” is used in philosophy (short overview)
- Conceptual analysis
Breaking concepts into their components to clarify meaning (e.g. knowledge, freedom, causation). Central in analytic philosophy. - Logical analysis
Rewriting statements in logical form to reveal structure, ambiguity, or invalid reasoning (Frege, Russell). - Linguistic / ordinary language analysis
Examining how words are actually used to dissolve philosophical problems (later Wittgenstein, Austin). - Transcendental (regressive) analysis
Asking what conditions must be in place for experience, knowledge, or meaning to be possible (Kant). - Phenomenological analysis
Describing the structure of lived experience without explaining it causally (Husserl, Heidegger). - Genealogical analysis
Tracing how concepts or values arose historically through power, contingency, and struggle (Nietzsche, Foucault). - Critical / ideological analysis
Exposing hidden interests or domination behind social beliefs and practices (Marx, Frankfurt School). - Structural analysis
Analyzing systems of relations rather than individual elements (structuralism). - Pragmatic analysis
Clarifying ideas by their practical consequences and use in action (Peirce, James). - Hermeneutic analysis
Interpreting meaning within historical and cultural contexts (Gadamer, Ricoeur). - Naturalistic analysis
Reducing philosophical problems to empirical or scientific investigation (Quine, Dennett). - Therapeutic or negative analysis
Dissolving problems by showing they rest on confusion or misuse of concepts (Pyrrhonism, Wittgenstein).
In short:
Philosophical analysis is not one method but a family of practices. Some aim at clarity, some at explanation, some at critique, some at interpretation, and some at dissolution. What unites themthem is the attempt to understand by taking apart, rather than by storytelling, exhortation, or system-building.
Wikipedia
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle, though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.
The word comes from the Ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (analysis, “a breaking-up” or “an untying” from ana- “up, throughout” and lysis “a loosening”). From it also comes the word’s plural, analyses.
As a formal concept, the method has variously been ascribed to René Descartes (Discourse on the Method), and Galileo Galilei. It has also been ascribed to Isaac Newton, in the form of a practical method of physical discovery (which he did not name).
The converse of analysis is synthesis: putting the pieces back together again in a new or different whole.
Academic analysis
Academic analysis is a systematic, methodological approach to inquiry used across scholarly disciplines to deconstruct complex ideas, texts, data, or systems. Its primary aim is to foster a deeper, evidence-based understanding, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a body of knowledge through critical examination and rigorous argumentation. This form of analysis is foundational to higher education and research, distinguished by its adherence to disciplinary conventions, peer review, and the use of established theoretical or conceptual frameworks.
Methods vary significantly by field. In the humanities, it often involves hermeneutic or discourse analysis to interpret the meaning, context, and ideology within texts and artifacts. In the social sciences, analysis frequently employs qualitative methods (e.g., thematic analysis, content analysis) and quantitative methods (e.g., statistical analysis, econometrics) to examine human behavior and societal structures. In the natural and formal sciences, the analytical process is characterized by hypothesis testing, mathematical modeling, and the reproducible analysis of empirical data.
A cornerstone of academic analysis is reflexivity, where scholars critically examine their own role, potential biases, and the influence of their theoretical position on the analytical process. The product of academic analysis is typically a sustained argument presented in a format such as a monograph, journal article, or dissertation, which is subjected to peer evaluation for validity, originality, and contribution to the field.
Read the rest here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis
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