SYNOPTIC is a term which can be used for traditional Greek philosophy–i.e., the philosophical approach of Aristotle.  In Greek the word means syn=all, optic=view: "The view from above," or something like that.  It is characterized by the Greek discovery of laws of nature.  In brief, they felt that if one could understand the laws which govern particular events, then the events themselves could be manipulated.  If you understand that bodies fall, you will be careful not to go too near the edge of a tall building.  Another way to say this is that the 5th century BC Greeks discovered science.  No other culture has done this, and this is a measure of the difference between European-American culture and all other cultures.

 Their great discovery of science was in the realization that everything is following laws.  So if we know what the law is, we can just apply it and find the answers to questions.  This is called a DEDUCTIVE system: i.e., if you know that all men are mortal (by their nature), and you are a man, you know that you are mortal–whether you feel like it or not.  If you know that all water boils at 100 C (by its nature), and if this is water, then you know for sure that this water will boil at 100 C–granted sea level atmospheric pressure.  If you know that the law of gravity is true, then you know that objects will fall.  If you know that two solid objects cannot inhabit the same place at the same time, then you know that the fellow who claims that he can walk through walls by (mind over matter) is either mistaken or lying because he cannot do what he claims.

 The Synoptic Greeks invented definitions–i.e., we can grasp the ESSENCE of something so that we can give a definition which specifies its genus (e.g., animal) and its species (e.g., rational).

 This is just a quick overview of Synoptic philosophy, but it should be enough to help you to see that they are more contemplative than activist.  That is, they believe that our problems can best be solved by understanding, not action.

 But Science changed radically in the 16th and 17th centuries, giving us what we now call natural science, and what we recognize as an approach based upon observation and not laws and essences.  More accurately, modern scientists do not claim that they can know the essence of a human being (rational animal) and on that basis determine who is human and who is not.  Rather, they consider us to be an evolving species with no definite essence.  What makes us human may be quite different from what makes humans a million years from now.

 This approach is called ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY.  Ana=break down.  So analytic philosophy assumes that if you want to understand something, you should break it down into its parts.  If you want to know whether divorce is moral, give a survey and see what people are actually doing.  If you want to study living things, delve into their genetic background and their cellular makeup.  If you want to go even deeper, examine their molecular structure, etc.  The key here is in breaking things down to understand them.  This scientists tell us is paying particular attention to facts rather than to theories.  Another aspect of analytic philosophy is called EMPIRICISM.  This is the idea that all knowledge comes through the senses, and that we cannot legitimately claim something unless we can present public and repeatable evidence for it.  To say that God loves us is to make a claim that is not provable, and therefore unscientific.