5. science, philosophy, and wisdom
(Is science a philosophy?)
Philo-sophia is the greek word for "love of wisdom"; sciencia is latin for "knowledge". Wisdom and knowledge aren't exactly the same, but they are certainly related. Science is trying to get at the details, the facts, the measurable and testable information that we can measure and use as a tool for something else. Science uses tools for this measuring and these tools have changed throughout time to let us discover more and more "facts". Karl Popper was a philospher of science. He explored the question of what makes something scientific. His answer was falsifiability; you can prove through experiment or observation that something is false. Philosophy, on the other hand, looks at the larger picture to understand the relationships, what it all means, the sum of the "facts". Philosophy encompasses science, and science encompasses art.
So if Philosophy is the love of wisdom, and science is the search for knowledge, I can say that I would rather be wise than knowledgable. If I don't know what my mother is going to say next, but my wisdom tells me she is angry, I'm not going to wait to know that her words will be loud and mean. Wisdom allows us to read in between the lines or aspects. Though we cannot accurately measure some things, we may be able to predict them. Most of us don't have to let something fall to the ground to know that gravity will do what it does.
For some of us, we can read between the lines of what is measurable. For example, many people know what their best friend is going say before they say it, simply because of patterns or things that have been observed before. Some of us have a natural inclination to rhythm or music, and can carry moments through time with others. They can step in and out of beat and project their own existence inside of a communal sound, and create harmony, or syncopation. This is because they assume that the beat will drive forward, in a sense they predict where the song is supposed to go. Clapping on beat is easier for some than others.
There are certain things about life and the universe that aren't worth compartmentalizing. Astrology claims nothing more than to be a system that observes the effects of nature upon us. Astrologers try to read into these aspects, just like scientists read into the seasons, both rely on what has happened throughout time to predict or prepare for future events.
When we as humans look for meaning, we are searching for repetition, for a frame of reference. But in our finite consciousness, we haven't quite grasped that not everything can be measured with the tools and framework we currently have. An argument can be made for the athiest who only believes in what is measurable: if you cannot measure how much you love your mother, or that you even love her, then its not even worth believing in or relying on right?
Being that our global consciousness is infantile in comparison to the human brain's fullest potential or capacity, we cannot expect to be able to accurately measure everything about the human mind. To neglect the spiritual, the unseen, and the hidden, is to neglect a part of ourselves that leads to an understanding we have yet to achieve as a human race.
So if Philosophy is the love of wisdom, and science is the search for knowledge, I can say that I would rather be wise than knowledgable. If I don't know what my mother is going to say next, but my wisdom tells me she is angry, I'm not going to wait to know that her words will be loud and mean. Wisdom allows us to read in between the lines or aspects. Though we cannot accurately measure some things, we may be able to predict them. Most of us don't have to let something fall to the ground to know that gravity will do what it does.
For some of us, we can read between the lines of what is measurable. For example, many people know what their best friend is going say before they say it, simply because of patterns or things that have been observed before. Some of us have a natural inclination to rhythm or music, and can carry moments through time with others. They can step in and out of beat and project their own existence inside of a communal sound, and create harmony, or syncopation. This is because they assume that the beat will drive forward, in a sense they predict where the song is supposed to go. Clapping on beat is easier for some than others.
There are certain things about life and the universe that aren't worth compartmentalizing. Astrology claims nothing more than to be a system that observes the effects of nature upon us. Astrologers try to read into these aspects, just like scientists read into the seasons, both rely on what has happened throughout time to predict or prepare for future events.
When we as humans look for meaning, we are searching for repetition, for a frame of reference. But in our finite consciousness, we haven't quite grasped that not everything can be measured with the tools and framework we currently have. An argument can be made for the athiest who only believes in what is measurable: if you cannot measure how much you love your mother, or that you even love her, then its not even worth believing in or relying on right?
Being that our global consciousness is infantile in comparison to the human brain's fullest potential or capacity, we cannot expect to be able to accurately measure everything about the human mind. To neglect the spiritual, the unseen, and the hidden, is to neglect a part of ourselves that leads to an understanding we have yet to achieve as a human race.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
If you have read through A.) Astrology Basics and B.) Holistic Philosophy you probably have a better idea of yourself than you did before. Take the quiz to further help you apply the information you have learned.
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