6. Systems thinking fundamentals

Systems thinking is based on the concept of synthesis 1, i.e. putting things together whereas its opposite, analysis is about taking things apart. Synthesis and analysis are complementary processes.

Systems thinking can be of great use for poblem solving. Instead of zooming in on the subsystems the system under consideration contains (analysis), one zooms out to the system that the system under consideration is part of (synthesis).

As an example, one cannot explain why the steering wheel of a British car is on the right hand side by taking the car apart (analysis). Only by looking at the system the car is part of (synthesis), more particular the history of that system, one can explain why the wheel is on the right hand side.

---

1

synthesis: The process of combining different ideas, elements, or components to form a coherent whole, while its opposite is analysis, which involves breaking down a complex topic into smaller parts to understand it better.