This paper interrogates the general assumption of the symmetry between analysis and synthesis. It argues that the emphasis on symmetry between analytic and synthetic operations proceeds from a reconceptualization of the empirical tradition of chemical analysis under the aegis of mathematical and philosophical notions. Given that the experimental analyses and syntheses are viewed as mere translations of a mode of reasoning onto the material realm, I refer to this approach as the intellectualist tradition. I highlight the contrast between this intellectualist approach, which describes analysis and synthesis as two distinct and successive operations, and more pragmatic approaches to analysis and synthesis as practical arts that emphasize the synchrony between the two processes rather than their symmetry.