In a discursive manner; by digressing or wandering from the main topic; through extended reasoning.
From 'discursive' plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. It derives from Latin 'discursivus' (running about), making the adverb describe the manner of doing something in a scattered or wide-ranging way.
When philosophers say they're thinking 'discursively,' they mean step-by-step logical reasoning rather than direct intuition—it's a technical term in philosophy that contrasts with 'intuitively.' So 'discursively' can mean either 'in a rambling way' or 'through systematic logical steps' depending on context.
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