Astrology and Mathematics

Critically analyze the argument that astrology performs better than random guessing because astrology is based on mathematics.

1. In your own words, explain what random guessing is (with at least one example), and explain what astrologers would have to achieve in order for astrology to actually perform better than random guessing.

2. In your own words, explain why and how astrology is based on mathematics, and how this basis in mathematics is supposed to support the claim that astrology works?

3. Is there some particular part of mathematics (like a proved theorem) that astrology is based on? Explain.

4. Is there some argument that connects astrology to this part of mathematics? Explain.aup a

5. As far as you can tell, is astrology based on anything that has been proven mathematically? Or is the purported "mathematical basis" of astrology just the fact that astrologers perform calculations of some kind as they draw up their horoscopes?

6. Consider the discipline of "nomnumastology" which is a mathematically based method for determining somebody's astrological sign. First, you write down a 1 for every "a" in that person's first name, a 2 for every "b," and so on. Then you add these numbers together. If the result is greater than 12, you add the digits of the result together. Keep doing that until you have a number between 1 and 12, inclusive. If that number is a 1, the person is an Aries, 2 a Taurus, 3 a Gemini, 4 a Cancer, 5 a Leo, 6 a Virgo, 7 a Libra, 8 a Scorpio, 9 a Sagittarius, 10 a Capricorn, 11 an Aquarius and if the number is 12, she's a Pisces. Applying this to my first name "Martin" we get 13+1+18+20+9+14=75, more than 12, so 7+5=12, so by this method, I'm Pisces. Is the fact that nomnumastology involves mathematical calculations based on a real feature of a person enough to support the claim that nomnumastology works better than random guessing?

7. Is the fact that astrology involves mathematical calculations enough to support the claim that astrology works better than random guessing?

One way to approach these questions is to assume that they are being asked by someone who thinks that the argument given above is not a good argument. Therefore, you can assume that an unsatisfactory answer to any one of these questions could potentially refute the argument given above. Your task is to judge whether or not the argument given above stands up under these questions. If you think that satisfactory answers can be given to all the questions, say so and explain those answers. If you think that these questions cannot be adequately answered, say so and explain how this failure undermines the argument.

Another way to approach this problem is to keep the questions in mind as you logically analyze the argument given above.

Remember that your task is to decide whether or not this argument by itself is strong enough to support its conclusion. Finding that this argument is bad does not mean that other arguments for this conclusion are also bad. If you find it bad, say it's bad and explain why it's bad. The one thing you must not do is bring up other, unrelated arguments to support this conclusion. You can do that later. Right now your task is to evaluate just this argument.

Of course, once you've finished evaluating the argument, you can go on and add any comments that occur to you. Did you change your mind about anything? Can you come up with better arguments on each side of the issue? Can you figure out what questions have to be settled before we can decide this issue? Based on the arguments you've seen so far, what is your overall take on the issue at this moment? What reasons do you have for coming to this conclusion? Anything else?

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