Is Astrology Science?

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The One Who Is vs Dying Seraph

This is a formal 1 vs 1 debate, full details on how the debate system works can be found in our Debates FAQ. The debate will begin with an introductory opening post from each participant followed by 4 body posts and finally a conclusion.

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The One Who Is is arguing in favour of astrology not being science

Dying Seraph is arguing in favour of astrology being science

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[The One Who Is]

Astrology is held to be science by many of its practitioners. However, if you look into the matter further, does this definition hold up? Or is it nothing but false advertising?

In this debate, I shall demonstrate it is the latter.

[Dying Seraph]

Astrology is held to be science by many of its practitioners. However, if you look into the matter further, does this definition hold up? Or is it nothing but false advertising?

In this debate, I shall demonstrate it is the latter.

I shall be as blunt as possible. It is my belief that Astrology is a science.

My goal is to show that there is validity to my belief that astrology and science go hand in hand.

[The One Who Is]

[[No need to quote me unless you're emphasizing something, no one else can post here until we finish. ]]

In order to truly understand the answer to this question, we must consider the definitions of both science and astrology.

Science is a tool used to analyze data and learn about the physical world. It is the process of observing, identifying, describing, investigating, and explaining natural phenomena. Perhaps the most important thing about science is the fact that the claims it makes are always falsifiable. A claim about something that cannot be proven wrong is not a scientific claim. This does not mean science always makes false claims. It means that science always makes claims which could be challenged if wrong.

Astrology, on the other hand, is "the study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs." [source] It is a process by which one person may not the alignment of stars during his birth, and thereby "calculate" his destiny.

The definition of astrology does not fit into the definition of science. While science is a means of analyzing data, astrology is a means of making predictions based on unproven methodology.

[Dying Seraph]

First and foremost I apologize for quoting you with having nothing to emphasize. This is my first debate online so...I may make mistakes. Just try to bear with me.

The scientific mind is one of logic and rational thinking. In science one forms a hypothesis, forms, data, then evaluates the findings to form a conclusion. And without science, we have no reasonable explanations for events, etc. in life. However I believe that scientific rationale is a victim of it's own undoing sometimes. Bear with me. There are many a scientist that when doing a study, did not come to the conclusion they like or makes no sense to them. Because of this sometimes they'll cast it aside or even call it nonsense or illogical (of course I will keep in mind that every individual scientist is different.). Science always has a feasable explanation or possiblillity. When science has no feasable exlanation for something it often goes thrown aside or ignored 'till a reasonable conclusion is reached.

In the middle ages Astrology and Astronomy were close relatives. Like Alchemy and Chemistry. Over the years due to commercialization, and the capitalist mentallity of human behavior, Astrology has come to be viewed as nothing but a scheme, an art, a hobby, or just a flat out ploy to make money. Even as a cheap form of entertainment. And in a sense I ABSOLUTELY AGREE that Astrology has become something different than it once was. However I still believe it to be a science and shall explain why I believe so in a few minutes.

I agree with the definition you gave of Astrolgy. Here are some that I came upon.

ASTROLOGY-A pseudo science claiming divination by the position of the planetary elemants. (Thought you might like this one as it favors your side of the debate)

ASTROLOGY-A study of the positions and aspects of the planets in order to judge their influence on our actions/behavior.( I like this one).

From what I understand there are 2 types of Astrology. One being Judicial(predicting the acts of individuals), and Natural(predicting the course of nature such as the weather).

Also for the sake of this conversation I'll add Astromancy.

ASTROMANCY-Divination by the stars.(I think we'll both agree that this one is not science but a feeling of supremacy).

ASTRONOMY-the scientific study of the positions, dimensions, motion, etc. of celestial bodies and phenomina. (I'll get to why I put this in the topic further on).

Now as I stated before I do agree that Astrology has increasingly become a form of art or entertainment. And I'll even say that Astrology does not determine how a person will live but of there characteristics (ei. Astrology won't tell you when you'll win the lottery or how. But Astrology may be able to explain why one person is more able to adapt then others and so forth). By this I mean when you read a newspaper the astrology is broad and general. SOmeone is bound to be foolish enough to believe it. But when one gets a birth chart done, the correalation of the planets are shown and what house they are in (ie. You might have a planet or 2 In a certain house and no planet in another house). It's not just a matter of the Day you were born as many percieve, but of the alignment of the sun, moon, and planets when we are born.

Again Astrology does not explain your future but gives insight into your characteristics and behavior. This is not a tool to tell us how to live our lives but to embrace our differences and characteristics.

It's not the result of what astrology tells you that's the science. That's the art. It's the examination/studying of the planets and how they correlate and align with our birth. Thats the Science. The reasoning for my adding Astronomy along with Astrology to the defininitions is because they are both very similar in where they start (the examination of the planets and their alignment and so forth). It's the ending that changes. And because the final product of Astrology usually involves conning someone out of hard earned money. I believe is why it's seen as entertainmemt, a con, a ploy. But still science none the less.

Edited December 23, 2008 by Dying Seraph