Analytical reasoning, also known as analytical thinking, refers to the ability to look at information, be it
qualitative or quantitative in nature, and discern patterns within the information. Analytical reasoning involves
deductive reasoning with no specialised knowledge, such as: comprehending the basic structure of a set of relationships; recognizing logically equivalent statements; and inferring what could be true or must be true from given facts and rules. Analytical reasoning is axiomatic in that its truth is self-evident. In contrast,
synthetic reasoning requires that we include
empirical observations, which are always open to doubt. The specific terms “analytic” and “synthetic” themselves were introduced by
Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aest ...
(1781) at the beginning of his ''
Critique of Pure Reason''.
Kant's usage
In a philosophy of
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...
, analytic reasoning represents judgments made upon statements that are based on the virtue of the statement's own content. No particular experience, beyond an understanding of the meanings of words used, is necessary for analytic reasoning.
For example, "''John is a bachelor.''" is a given true statement. Through analytic reasoning, one can make the judgment that John is ''unmarried''. One knows this to be true since the state of being ''unmarried'' is implied in the word ''bachelor''; no particular experience of John is necessary to make this judgement.
To suggest that John is ''married''—given that he ''is'' a ''bachelor''—would be self-contradictory.
Beneficial ability in employees
Business and finance employers look for people who can group elements of a task and reintroduce sections as a coherent singular component that can be more easily accomplished in order to move through a complete task little by little. Analytic reasoning is used by businesses to assess the patterns of change in their market, employees ideally being able to recognize this statistic through raw data.
Basically, having good analytic reasoning the ability to recognize trends and patterns after considering data.
As a result, some universities use the terms “analytical reasoning” and “analytical thinking” to market themselves. One such university defines it as “A person who can use logic and critical thinking to analyze a situation.” Other campuses go deeper on the topic.
They may also correlate this with other future careers, such as:
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Philosophy
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Civics
Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society. The term derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens, particularly in the context of ur ...
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Natural science
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Social science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
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Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a Government agency, government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includ ...
See also
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Analytic-synthetic distinction
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Logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premise ...
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Critical thinking
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Lateral thinking
Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious. It involves ideas that may not be obtainable using only traditional step-by-step logic. The term was first u ...
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Deductive reasoning
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Analytical skill
Analytical skill is the ability to deconstruct information into smaller categories in order to draw conclusions. Analytical skill consists of categories that include logical reasoning, critical thinking, communication, research, data analysis an ...
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Analysis
Analysis ( : analyses) 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 (3 ...
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Analysis paralysis
Analysis paralysis (or paralysis by analysis) describes an individual or group process where overanalyzing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become "paralyzed", meaning that no solution or course of acti ...
Footnotes
{{logic-stub
Philosophical logic
Reasoning
Aptitude