On September 26, Library on Gazetny hosted a presentation and discussion of the book by Brazilian science journalist Carlos Orsi, «What Science Says About Astrology», which was recently published by the Gaidar Institute Publishing House. The event took place as part of the «Moscow Book Week» festival.
The discussion included:
- Denis Sivkov, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Assistant Professor, ION RANEPA;
- Pavel Bogomolov, Lecturer, ION RANEPA;
- Vladislav Shaposhnikov, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Assistant Professor, MSU;
- Rodion Karneev, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, a Researcher, Institute of Philosophy RAS.
During the meeting, participants discussed the pseudoscience of astrology and the flip side of its relationship with science as it is understood today. The central theme was Carlos Orsi's paradoxical observation: astrology has been defeated as a scientific method, but has won as a social mechanism. Speakers discussed why horoscopes in glossy magazines not only entertain readers but also quietly reproduce stereotypes about gender, race, and class. According to the author, astrology is a 'museum exhibit,' the first and the longest humanity’s attempt to bring order to the chaos of the universe.