从认识论的高度阐明失效、失效分析和预防在人类科学技术发展中的属性、地位和作用。失效分析和预防具有多学科交叉综合的属性，它的发展依赖于应用学科、应用基础学科、甚至于基础学科的发展，但又对它们的发展起重要反转作用和影响。因此，它是科学技术第一生产力中最积极、最活跃的因素之一。从方法论的角度进一步叙述了失效分析与失效预防之间的辩证关系。失效分析是一种事后的逆向思维过程，它是从异常现象（结果）到因素（模式、原因和机理）的反向科技探索，而失效预防（安全评定）则是从因素到结果的一种事先的正向思维过程。逆向思维与正向思维协同并用，事后分析转化为事先分析，构成科学技术研究活动和科技发展的全过程，两者不可偏废。综述了失效分析和失效预防（安全评定）的主要内容、技术、方法和它们的发展趋势，并提出它们与无损检测技术之间的关系。

This paper, from the viewpoint of epistemology, clarifies the position, role, and attributes of failure analysis and prevention in the development of science and technology. The discipline of failure analysis and prevention is multidisciplinary and inter-synthetical. It dependents on the development of both aplied sciences and pure sciences and has great positive effects on them.So, it is one of the most active factors in the conclusion of “Science and technology are the first productivity.” This paper also describes the dialectic relationship between failure analysis and failure prevention methodologically. While failure analysis is a process of converse thinking expost factor, which explores scientifically causes from results, the failure prevention is a process of prior thinking, which predicts results from causes.It is necessary to utilize the both thinking methods simultaneously and convert the afterwards analysis to the prior one for the development of science and technology. Finally, this paper summarizes the main contents, techniques, methodology, and future trends of failure analysis and prevention and the relationship between nondestructive testing and failure analysis and prevention.