Thesis- Antithesis-Synthesis

The phrase, Thesis -Antithesis -Synthesis, forms an important tenet of Marxism, and is said to have been developed by the German philosopher Hegel. Thesis stands for a proposition or theory that is widely believed in. Antithesis is a negation of refutation of this theory. Synthesis is a new theory that reconciles these two opposing viewpoints. Though mostly associated with Marxist thought, this line of thinking can also be applied to any new innovation. Let me illustrate this by a few examples,

Thesis: Men cannot fly. Antithesis: Men can fly. Synthesis: Create a flying machine which can help many fly.

Thesis: Cars can run only on petrol. Antithesis: Cars need not run on petrol. Synthesis: Develop cars that run on electricity.

Thesis:
People need to go the bank to draw cash.
Antithesis: It's not necessary to go to the bank to draw money. Synthesis: Develop ATMs that can dispense cash at convenient locations.

Most innovations in fact come from a desire to break accepted conventions, and the Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis model can serve as a good tool to look at the world around us and come up with new innovations.

Since the above examples showcase solutions which are common, the model make seem somewhat like hindsight and not too applicable in real life. So here's an example of an innovation that is not too widely known. But first, once more the model,

Thesis: Riding a two wheeled vehicle requires the rider to have balancing skills. Antithesis: Balancing
skills are not necessary to ride two wheeled vehicles. Synthesis:
Develop a self balancing two wheeled vehicle.

And now the solution. Segway PT is a two wheeled self balancing vehicle that uses tilt sensors to keep itself upright, removing the need for the user to be skilled in balancing it. In fact, it is hailed as one of the most innovative transport system. Check out their web site and this Wikipedia article for more information.

Look around yourself. What is your Synthesis today?