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Synthesis blends two opposing ideas, while antithesis opposes a thesis. Both require a thesis to exist. St. Augustine believed in original sin, while Pelagius believed in innocence and good works. Synthesis is not guaranteed, and the Church ruled in favor of Augustine, denouncing Pelagius as a heretic. If both parties compromise, a synthesis can be reached.
Synthesis and antithesis are two elements of a dialectical argument, the third being the original thesis. The difference between synthesis and antithesis is that antithesis is one idea in opposition to another whereas a synthesis blends two opposing ideas together. The antithesis is likely to occur when a thesis is presented, but synthesis is not guaranteed unless both protagonists decide to compromise or someone decides to compromise for them.
A similarity between synthesis and antithesis is that neither can exist without a thesis to work from. Their relationship to the central thesis defines the differences between them. A thesis can be put forward in a letter, article or speech and lays out an idea and elaborates on it with examples and reason. The goal is to get readers and listeners to agree with the idea.
An example of thesis came from St. Augustine of Hippo, a Roman theologian, who expounded the idea of original sin. He believed that all children were born sinners and would go to hell unless they were baptized. Even after baptism, all human beings are still sinners without God’s divine help. He believed that predestination and not good works decides whether someone went to heaven or not.
The antithesis is a counterposition to the thesis. It is set forth equally in a speech or in written form and also attempts to persuade people to agree with it instead of the thesis. Pelagius, a British priest, proposed an idea contrary to Augustine’s ideas about original sin. Pelagius believed that children were born innocent and that man could earn a place in heaven if he did good works and lived a good life.
A major difference between synthesis and antithesis is that while an antithesis is common in reaction to a thesis, producing synthesis is not. The synthesis attempts to find common ground between two arguments. It insinuates that both the proponent of the thesis and the champion of the antithesis are willing to discuss the issue and reach a conclusion. This can be done by a third party or by the creators of the thesis and antithesis together.
Often this is not the case. With Augustine and Pelagius, neither, especially Augustine, was willing to compromise. The Church then ruled on the matter and found itself in favor of Augustine. This led to Pelagius being denounced as a heretic and persecuted for the rest of his life. The Church has established that there can be no synthesis and antithesis, only the thesis.
Once the fundamental points of agreement have been found, the synthesis then attempts to reconcile other elements of the thesis and the antithesis. If the Catholic Church had forced Augustine and Pelagius to sit down and compromise, they would have made a synthesis together. Pelagius might have agreed that man is sinful, but Augustine would have caved in to children, allowing an unbaptized child to go to heaven and not hell.
