Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Another argument made by astrologers is that most studies of astrology do not reflect the nature of astrological practice and that the scientific method does not apply to astrology.[68][69] Some astrology proponents argue that the prevailing attitudes and motives of many opponents of astrology introduce conscious or unconscious bias in the formulation of hypotheses to be tested, the conduct of the tests, and the reporting of results.[7][49][10][66][70]Early science, particularly geometry and astronomy/astrology, was connected to the divine for most medieval scholars. The compass in this 13th century manuscript is a symbol of God's act of creation, as many believed that there was something intrinsically divine or perfect that could be found in circles.[edit] Mechanism
Astrologers have not presented consistent explanations of physical mechanisms underlying astrological beliefs,[71][72] and few modern astrologers believe in a direct causal relationship between heavenly bodies and earthly events.[64] An editorial published by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific reports no evidence for a scientifically defined mechanism by which celestial objects can influence terrestrial affairs.[7] Researchers have posited acausal, purely correlative, relationships between astrological observations and events, such as the theory of synchronicity proposed by Carl Jung.[73] Others have posited a basis in divination.[74] Others have argued that empirical correlations stand on their own epistemologically, and do not need the support of any theory or mechanism.[66] To some observers, these non-mechanistic concepts raise serious questions about the feasibility of validating astrology through scientific testing, and some have gone so far as to reject the applicability of the scientific method to astrology entirely.[66] Some astrologers, on the other hand, believe that astrology is amenable to the scientific method, given sufficiently sophisticated analytical methods, and they cite pilot studies to support this view.[75] Consequently, several astrologers have called for or advocated continuing studies of astrology based on statistical validation.[76]

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