First, the Renaissance period and then the industrial revolution in Europe questioned the testability of astrological concepts. They criticized astrology for its beliefs that cannot be verified or proved through experiments. Although, astrologers continued strengthening their concepts with further investigations into their vague concepts. However, this rift between astrology and science continues even today.
Criticism of Astrological Concepts
1 Awareness of problematic concepts
Since Newton, the views of astrologers and scientists have become increasingly opposed. Astrologers even today emphasize the connection between celestial and earthly phenomena. They assert that celestial changes affect human behavior. But scientists and philosophers disagree.
2)Facts are hard to find
Astrologers, unlike scientists, are less interested in discovering the truth of their assertions, and more interested in making a case for propositions already accepted in advance.
3) The Shift in Astrological Ideas
Constant shifts in astrological ideas have led to friction between astrological realms. Classical astrology associated itself with planetary configurations and human activities. 20th scholars stressed that stellar connection reflects the actual outward human behavior, but today psychoanalytic astrologers believe in the underlying personality traits.
4) Arguments of Modern Astrology
Astrology faced a lot of criticism from the scientists due to their impractical arguments and unscientific approaches. The arguments of astrologers are as follows:
- Ignore Bad News-They did not believe in taking scientific results of astrological concepts seriously.
- Move Goalposts – The concepts of astrology are not fixed.
- Retreat Into Metaphor – When they face criticism on a lack of evidence on people born at the same time and having different destinies, the argument is not satisfying. In fact, astrologers argue that two people, when born at the same time, can be ruled by two different planets.
- Invoke Subtlety – The concepts of astrology are subtle and difficult to investigate. For example, even though a large, sun signs are not valid the astrologer Harvey defends it by saying that it is absolutely fine if there is no evidence for signs and houses till today.
- Be dogmatic –
- Blame Faulty Methods – Finally, one can say, that if researchers are obtaining negative results, they must be doing it wrong. They are using the wrong methodology, the wrong paradigm or both.
- Assume truth- Further, while we have some understanding of how sound waves are related to pitch etc and it is understood as music, but you are not provided with any explanation of how you can interpret your love life, financial life, let alone future possibilities, through these fluctuations.
4. Problems with the three basic ideas of astrology
- As above so below
- Interconnectedness
- Only the whole chart is meaningful
5. Problems with the origin of astrological ideas
There is no legitimate thinking behind the origin of astrological concepts. For example, why do astrologers say that “The Full Moon in Taurus is a good time to attend to the thyroid gland” or “Avoid traveling when the planet ruling your ninth house is making an unfavorable aspect to another planet”.
6. Problems with modern psychological astrology
There is a shift from tradition astrology to modern psychological astrology. In the new psychological, the central relationship between celestial patterns and human beings is not with outward, observable patterns of behaviour and tendencies but rather with the unobservable, inner life of a person.
7. Problems of astrological world views
Traditional astrology emphasizes the prediction of events, the association of relatively specific, observable outcomes with astrological factors, sometimes with the world view that planets are transmitters of physical influence.
8. Problems of astrological symbolism
The connections that astrologers were claiming was not facts-based. Moreover, these assumptions were flexible and varied from astrologer to astrologer. Rather, these connections are established on the basis of word associations, mythological associations, a variety of cultural symbolic notions based on conflicting theological and occult beliefs.
9. Problems of non-falsifiability
The symbolism in astrology explains why astrologers can claim that the testing of astrology is almost impossible. While on the same hand, they claim that their daily experience confirms everything. The flexibility of symbolism allows any interpretation to be a confirmation. Consequently, the main problem with the testing of astrological claims is that there are no clear-cut results. Hence, there are nothing that is problematic for the astrological theory.
10. Problems of magical influences
Magical or unknown influences are appealed to whenever astrology is in difficulty.
