wcs, may be I am not being clear, I agree with you in your last post
But you can also do a partial correlation, in which temperature during the day would be controlled for, and at that point the correlation between n of birds and n of coughs would disappear.
Rigth! There is no true relation between temp and coughs neither! That is an induction, and can be used to make a prediction. It just works. We actually dont know nothing about that. We dont know if other
phaenomena is related to the cough, instead of temp. We could find another statistical number similar as the temp/cough relation. But we
choose that one. That is why the science uses a
ceteris paribus clause, something like "being all the other things equals", i.e., lets supouse the rest of the cosmos has nothing to do with this.
The thing is that some inductive inferences works, and they give us the chance to do predictive sentences for making better decisions. We cant say the same about astrology!
I agree that astrology isn't a scientific field of study, but I would say you can apply the scientific method to test some of their more specific predictions
If you can use the scientific method, is a science, If you cant, it is not one. We can not use the scientific method, because we can say a lot of predictions, and if they become true, that doesnt mean the predictions were rigth! We can choose to believe in that, but we cant use the scientific method.
1. A make a prediction B based in astrology.
2. B happens.
3. hence (i learned that word today
, astrology works.
This suppose
1'. If the prediction happens, then astrology works.
1' is totally wrong. Predictive sentences are not testable at all, they are not true or false. They can help or not, that is all. There is no reason (statistical, deductive or inductive) to believe in astrology. If there is any reason, it is another kind of reason.
I like just once, the poetic reason. The ancients used to think about astrology in that way. And seems to imply one thing I like: humans cant control everything, they are not entirely owners of themselves. But please note this: this last reason not allow anybody to use astrology as a predictive tool to make decisions.
cintyram: I made some predictions in the past too, and sometimes I hit, sometimes I dont. It doesnt mean anything. I cant say astrology is wrong, as I said, is not testable, so I cant deny it neither. I choose to believe in something else.
I like metaphisic, I think there is a genuine interest in non-science-like knowledge, I just think astrology is not the case. It was a poetic form once. Now people wants to use it as a method.
