![]() Falsifying a theory is finding an instance wherein its prediction does not hold true and those falsifying instances make the theory narrower. For Popper, there is danger in looking at confirming evidences only for a theory which proves to be an explanation of all possible phenomena closes its doors to progress. The vagueness of the statement would definitely allow the theory to hold true since the person would consciously search for a confirming evidence. For example, your horoscope would tell you that you will be meeting an important person in your life within the week. Their explanatory power comes from the vagueness of its statements which allows them to veer away from falsification or the test of the legitimacy of their theory. " Like astrology, the three enjoy immense explanatory power because the world teems with confirmations of the theory. He felt that these theories " though posing as sciences, had in fact more in common with primitive myths than with science that they resembled astrology rather than astronomy (Popper 2). ![]() Running against dogmatism, Popper criticized three theories namely the Marxist theory of history, psychoanalysis, and individual psychology which seemed to have attained the scientific status. However, for Karl Popper, a theory is scientific if it is falsifiable or open to refutations. Contrary to popular belief, Tetrabiblos by Ptolemy has proven its complex methodology (Thagard 224). Through the movements of the sun, moon, and planets as well as its manifestations in nature, astrology was able to predict fate expressed through the Zodiac signs. Astrology used to be very popular in the ancient times. What are the criteria for saying that a theory is scientific or not? In the discussion of the demarcation, astrology would be a good reference point. Just like in the previous examples of classification, it is important to inquire as well regarding the purpose of this demarcation. In the Philosophy of Science, there is also what I call the " The Great Divide " which separates what is science from what is pseudo-science. An instance of this is the chronic skin color disparity between the 'blacks and whites.' The whites are more privileged in the society while the blacks are seen as criminals and slaves. However, there are also classifications that are motivated by the desire to degrade. Through this classification, people are able to easily look for what they need by simply looking at the signage. One of those is according to purpose-hygienic needs are situated all together in a rack while food, with its further subdivisions, are on others. In a grocery store, the goods are arranged according to certain factors. Why do men classify? What are these divisions for? Perhaps, many would say that classification is motivated by convenience. When people started to classify things in the world, different types of divisions also started being etched on history. ![]() _ Contents Proposers of the Case: Dean and his team Their case in a nutshell The core myth: “Hundreds of scientific tests have solved the puzzle.” Meta-Analysis of matching birth charts to owners Using White Swans to camouflage Black Swans Lunar ‘effects’ Red Hair & Mars Rising Omission of Inconvenient Data Divination Natural Astrology The Origins of Astrology: Observation or Invention? Quote mining and circular reasoning The 110 Best articles in Astrologie in Onderzoek Smit and the Placebo effect The Gauquelin Research and the Parental Tampering Conjecture Who will read Astrology under Scrutiny? Conclusion Acknowledgements References So the focus of this article is The Case for and against Astrology, referred to herein as The Case. Most of this last section is so controversial that it deserves more than a general review in Correlation. Astrology under Scrutiny (AuS) is divided into four sections: (1) Summaries of the best 110 articles from Dutch astrological research journal Astrologie in Onderzoek (1977-2003), (2) Astrology My Disaster by Rudolf Smit, (3) the history of the lifework of the Gauquelins, and (4) the largest (containing over 60% of the content): The case for and against astrology. It’s a high-quality hardback book of over 200,000 words, printed on glossy paper, and accompanied by detailed graphs, photographs and illustrations. Available via PayPal Contact: Astrology under Scrutiny is probably the first coffee table book for astrology sceptics. Smit Publisher: Wout Heukelom and Cygnea van der Hooning, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 364 pages. Guest Editor and Principal Compiler: Geoffrey Dean Sub-editor: Bert Terpstra.
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