alle@ihuxb.UUCP (07/18/83)
OK Tim, here goes: **************************************************************************** Q: How is it that astrology pretends to be a science? **************************************************************************** Astrology pretends to be a science because it attempts to predict future events in the physical universe based on a given set of postulates. Is that definition of science not clear? My problem with its pretense to being a science lies in the lack of any evidence to support the basic theories. Astrology is offered as something to be believed purely on faith. That places it in the category of religion in my book. **************************************************************************** Q: Are you saying that it pretends to be a science because it claims to deliver information? **************************************************************************** I am saying it pretends to be a science because it claims to deliver information without any evidence to support the claim. **************************************************************************** Q: Are you saying, then, that science has a monopoly on information gathering? **************************************************************************** Since we (the net) nitpick (sp?) spelling, punctuation, etc., then I have a nit to pick. Are you discussing information delivery or information gathering? Somehow you changed directions from question 2 to 3. But, I am basically saying that any practice which attempts to predict future events using a base of knowledge is a science, but only if that practice then proceeds to prove its validity with evidence. I have seen no evidence offered by Astrology to back up its claims. That damns it to the category of mysticism/religion as far as I am concerned. I certainly agree that experiments could be devised to test the validity of Astrology. But, I do not see any Astrologers doing this. The burden of proof is not on those of us who do not believe in Astrology, but on those who do. You also never mentioned the first question in my original response. You mentioned "astrological phenomena". To what phenomena are you referring? Allen England