Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology

Furthermore, it is manifest that this truth which we are treating concerning the vanity of astrology pertains to the first category. Since the innate vice of curiosity in man is repugnant to it, and since this curiosity is among all things most powerful and peculiar to man insofar as he is man, it results at times that many are either too busy to investigate this truth or do not willingly accept it even when it is found. And just as many, after having considered the most evident arguments of philosophy against avarice, still gasp after the accumulation of riches, so too do most people, after it has been shown to them that what astrologers say can be entirely true, still tear themselves away from astrologers only with difficulty. And if we are greedy for new things and listen even to fables willingly, we listen to astrologers in matters of the future—and those lying about such things—with pleasure. Added to this is the fact that we are always infatuated by the love of ourselves, so that whatever relates to us—whether prosperous or adverse—we easily hope for and easily fear; and we are solicited repeatedly by a blind desire to seek those things even where we know they cannot be found. What of the fact that, by this long-standing, vulgar consensus, a prejudice is formed, as if many think that there is indeed something to astrology, and it never comes into their minds to look into what foundation this thing has, or what solid bedrock lies beneath it? Wherefore, you will find that those whom this vanity has held were almost all either poor philosophers or, certainly, poor astrologers; their errors can be attributed, in the case of the former, to the fact that they do not see, and in the case of the latter, to the fact that they do not judge. Finally, having perhaps tasted it, it might have pleased some; but once drunk, it never satisfied the palate of a philosopher. For it has something on its face that attracts, that seems great, that seems plausible, and that seems useful; but when you have looked deeper, you see everything to be false, uncertain, and fabulous—born from no conjectures or from some most weak ones, about which we will discourse abundantly and at length in the following books. But perhaps this also has deceived someone: that since the names of some philosophers and some astrologers are similar, it could be thought that they were the same ones who wrote both physical and astrological works. For there is an Albumasar among the philosophers, and there is also one among the astrologers; but although the Latin language has confounded these names, they are distinguished as different among the Arabs. For he who is the philosopher is Albumasar, while the astrologer is called Aboasar. Abubater also wrote on natal predictions, and there is another of the same name who wrote on physical matters—specifically the book on how one might become a philosopher by one's own efforts, which we translated last year from Hebrew into Latin. But that one is Altasibi, while this one is the son of Iripdis; although there is the same affinity in names in many cases, there is a great divergence in both times and professions. And as for the philosophers, indeed, that is enough. Let us pass to the prophets—that is, to the oracles of the Old and New Law—starting from Isaiah. He, therefore, while threatening future destruction to the Babylonians—among whom this sect flourished most, whence astrologers were also called Chaldeans—and calling forth Cyrus, king of the Persians, as the anointed one, two hundred years before he was born, to fight against them, addresses the city of the Chaldeans, which was to be laid waste, in this way: "Let now the augurs of the heavens stand and save thee, who contemplated the stars and calculated the months so as to announce to thee the things that were to come. Behold, they have become as stubble; fire has burned them, nor shall they deliver their soul from the hand..."