Esprit de synthèse

05:02 Oct 26, 2013 

My in the field experience of France has taught me that the expression has the absolute opposite of what is being said here
It is the ability to 'summarize', and with the Cartesian French way of thinking, to reduce things to one little issue at a time.
The broader picture is completely lost or refuted.
It is the exact opposite of lateral thinking and often invokes one of the French's favorite 'accusations' in a debate or argument
'Ca, c'est une assimilation'

12:09 Oct 23, 2013 

Certainly not the opposite, a precursor perhaps. Note the first answer uses "reasoning" which is closer to analysis than to synthesis - the other two vice versa!

12:00 Oct 23, 2013 

Issn't synthesis the opposite of analysis?

11:09 Oct 23, 2013 

I read it as "Having an analytical mind"