SYNECHISM (from Gr. vvveXis, continuous, from crap, ex'ty, to hold together)  , a philosophical term proposed by C . S . Peirce (Monist, ii . 534) to express the general theory that the essential feature in philosophic speculation is continuity . It is specially directed to the question of hypothesis, and holds that a hypothesis is justifiable only on the ground that it provides an explanation . All understanding of facts consists in generalizing concerning them . The fact that some things are ultimate may be recognized by the synechist without abandoning his standpoint, since synechism is a normative or regulative principle, not a theory of existence . The adjective " synechological " is used in the same general sense; " synechology " is a theory of continuity or universal causation; " synechia " is a term in ophthalmology for a morbid union of parts .