Astrology and Horroscopes

The word you're looking for is unfalsifiable

For something that claims for itself to be about and only about predicting things astrology does an impressive job of not being able to predict anything with accuracy that would remain unaccounted for by chance. The good astrologist also tries to make his prediction so vague that just about anything would meet it and nothing would possibly ever falsify it - which is what makes it so unscientific.
However, unscientific does not mean false, I hear the philosophers shout.
True. But then it is also unbelievable for the same reason. About the same circumstances and the same person two different horoscopes concerning the same date may be miles apart unless you twist the interpretation for both to meet somewhere in the middle - and that's no way of looking into the future. It is instead a way of interpreting the past to make-believe.

Here is my argument against astrology:

Premise 1:
If astrology worked, we would expect it to produce predictions born of a described or undescribed mechanism linking the stars to human affairs. We would expect the predictions to be largely similar across the sources and either consistent or inconsistent with the true outcome of events to a statistically significant degree.
Premise 2:
Predictions vary vastly and without pattern across sources but show repititions throughout cosmically short time. The predictions made are either untestable or yield an accuracy rate that is statistically negligible to the point where it is indistinguishable from random guesses about future events.
Conclusion:
Therefore, astrology does not work.

Each of us has gifts; things we are naturally good at. Some people seem to be very in tune with the cosmic energies of the universe and happen to be very good at prognostication and some make good counselors and advisors.

If I were to prognosticate something for you using the art of numerology it would be as worthless as if a robot attempted explaining emotion. If you receive a premonition from a soothsayer and we try to interpret it literally we will often become disappointed as the premonition is based off images, colors and feelings and not facts and empirical references.

Often times, this lack of specific information, or vagueness, leads skeptics to believe there is no credibility to it all. When all the time, truth is in perception.

Astrology was originally used to tell the peoples when to plant, harvest and move. And with our understanding of the movement of the heavens and the observations we see in mankind they made other connections.

All I’m saying is don’t be too hasty to dismiss something that has been around as long as the world’s oldest profession.


PS. Scorpio born in the year of the Dragon

Rather like religion or mythology, it serves as tool which encourages people to think conceptually about (and mythologise) their own lives, with the usual varied results.

Like religion or alternative medicine, I'm not against it per se, but I am against those who use it to exploit vulnerable people, ordinarily for unreasonable financial gain. Beyond that, if it provides a little comfort like any other fiction, great. Why not? I'm not aware that any wars have been fought over matters of astrology recently.

tzb wrote: Like religion or alternative medicine, I'm not against it per se, but I am against those who use it to exploit vulnerable people, ordinarily for unreasonable financial gain.

I would think that all Jedi are "against" the exploitation of any person by anyone.

Agreed. My point was that rather than being totally cool with it, my opinion is tempered by the fact astrology is sometimes used as a tool to leverage money out of desperate people, just like religion or alternative medicine.

tzb wrote: I'm not aware that any wars have been fought over matters of astrology recently.

Kind of related: Hitler used astrology to try and predict which strategic choices would be the best.

http://www.astrology.co.uk/news/worldwar2.htm

And we won! That's an argument in favour if you ask me

The Old Farmer's Almanac is a reference book that contains weather forecasts, tide tables, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles on a number of topics, including gardening, sports, astronomy, and farming. The book also features anecdotes and a section that predicts trends in fashion, food, home décor, technology, and living for the coming year.

Astronomy has nothing to do with astrology except they both include planets.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/whats-difference-astrology-vs-astronomy/

I guess I forgot to add that it also has astrology in it; part of the ‘living for the coming year’ section.
Sorry. :blush:

But astrology is a more modern astronomy, where the study of the planets and their effect on people and people’s lives are correlated.

I was attempting to show some of the roots of modern astrology and how astronomy has played a part in our lives throughout history.

Well, I guess it depends on how one chooses to look at it…

‘Astrology’ was around before astronomy. But the role of astrology was considered a scholarly tradition as astronomy is now. It was accepted in political and academic contexts, and was connected with other studies, such as astronomy, alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. At the end of the 17th century, new scientific concepts in astronomy and physics called astrology into question.

Astrology has been dated to at least the 2nd millennium BCE, with roots in calendrical systems used to predict seasonal shifts and to interpret celestial cycles as signs. Which is what more modern ‘astronomy’ is used for now.

As we have seen in other threads, words do have meaning, and over time that meaning does change.