Cicero, in De Divinatione, leveled a critique of astrology that some modern philosophers consider to be the first working definition of pseudoscience and the answer to the demarcation problem. Philosopher of Science Massimo Pigliucci, building on the work of Historian of Science, Damien Fernandez-Beanato, argues that Cicero outlined a "convincing distinction between astrology and astronomy that remains valid in the twenty-first century." Cicero stated the twins objection (that with close birth times, personal outcomes can be very different), later developed by Augustine. He argued that since the other planets are much more distant from the Earth than the Moon, they could have only very tiny influence compared to the Moon's. He also argued that if astrology explains everything about a person's fate, then it wrongly ignores the visible effect of inherited ability and parenting, changes in health worked by medicine, or the effects of the weather on people.
Cicero in De Divinatione leveled a critique of astrology that some modern philosophers consider to be the first working definition of pseudoscience and the answer to the demarcation problem Philosopher of Science Massimo Pigliucci building on the work of Historian of Science Damien Fernandez-Beanato argues that Cicero outlined a "convincing distinction between astrology and astronomy that remains valid in the twenty-first century" Cicero stated the twins objection (that with close birth times personal outcomes can be very different) later developed by Augustine He argued that since the other planets are much more distant from the Earth than the Moon they could have only very tiny influence compared to the Moon's He also argued that if astrology explains everything about a person's fate then it wrongly ignores the visible effect of inherited ability and parenting changes in health worked by medicine or the effects of the weather on people