This week Luke counters the opinion of famed astrologer Jessica Denyer. He explains the history and science behind astrology. Luke goes into detail about how astrology is now declared “Pseudoscience.” – Editor Sienna Price
By Luke Sonderman, Unpopular Belief Advocate
The Oxford Dictionary defines Pseudoscience as “a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.” Not to be confused with Astronomy, Astrology is a popular pseudoscience that began when Babylonians created the first horoscopes 2500 years ago. Horoscopes are forecasts of a person’s personality and future founded on the placement of stars and planets at that person’s time of birth.
For over 1000 years, Astrology swept the globe and was a popular science in the Roman Empire, Greece, Egypt, India, China, Mesoamerica, and many other places, but in the 17th century the science of Astrology went into a steep decline.
The 17th century was a time of great scientific advancements and discoveries. Famous scientists such as Johannes Kepler created the first three laws of planetary motion; Issac Newton created the three physical laws of motion, and many biological discoveries came about such as the discovery of the cell and blood circulation. These discoveries posed a serious threat to Astrology as Physics and Biology became more prominent studies that directly opposed the beliefs of Astrology. For the next two centuries, Astrology was looked upon poorly by most of the world but was still kept a prominent science in Mesoamerica and parts of Egypt.
In the late 19th and most of the 20th century, the idea of Astrology came back and swept across the United States and a few other European countries, but was still frowned upon by scientists. Instead of being a scientific belief, it had formed into a psychological practice that many used to seek relief on what their future may hold. Unfortunately for those who practiced Astrology, the practice was officially declared a Pseudoscience by a committee led by Paul Thagard, a prominent philosopher in science (mcgill.ca).
Although Astrology is a pseudoscience, 30% of people in the United States believe or practice Astrology. In previous centuries, Astrology had been used to tell the future of lives. Now it is common discrimination used to judge people based on when they were born and what their horoscope is even though it has no relation to their true personality.
In conclusion, it is fair to say that Astrology is merely an outdated belief that has no scientific foundation. There is absolutely no scientific or physical relation between stars, planets, and people’s personalities or futures. Although Astrology is a pseudoscience, it is one of many beliefs that was critical to world history but should remain in the past… not in the present and future.
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