The Construction of Traditional Chinese Horoscope Astrology--A Study of the Sociology of Knowledge
Date Issued
2007
Date
2007
Author(s)
Wang, Fang-Ping
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
This is a study of the sociology of knowledge, which intends to analyze the traditional Chinese horoscope astrology with the conception tools of the discipline. Institutionalization and legitimation, two important conceptions in The Social Construction of Reality by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, are both observed under a historical sight as sociology of knowledge is concerned about the relation between the social situation and knowledge. In other words, knowledge needs a correspondent plausibility structure to support it. Contents of the knowledge changes after plausibility structure changes, which is very important for fortunetelling knowledge to be immemorial. In this thesis, I am trying to illustrate that fortunetelling knowledge is changing as time goes by.
The research structure has two parts. The first part is the social institution, which can be observed from social roles in the Chinese horoscope astrology. The second part is the legitimation issue, which deals with how the Chinese horoscope astrology legitimizing and convincing social rules to society.
According to the historians’ work from astronomy history, the Chinese horoscope astrology is probably imported from India around 5th -10th century. How the outside culture became localized is the main focus in this thesis. Another subject, Zi-Wei-Dou-Shu（紫微斗數）, one of the three branches of Chinese horoscope astrology, is popular in Taiwan since 1980. Now Modern Zi-Wei-Dou-Shu in Taiwan faces a different plausibility structure including complex labor division, fast-flowing social roles, growing women status, and the population of scientism resisting legitimation. How modern Taiwan Zi-Wei-Dou-Shu faces these challenges is another focus in this thesis.
By analyzing social institution and legitimation, this study proves fortunetelling knowledge changing all the time. The emergence of new roles such as career women, the expansion of the discussion of personal characteristics, and the citation of “science” as new source of legitimation confirm the proposition. Besides, the study also proves that the Chinese horoscope astrology knowledge is based on the social rules, which people create through the approach of externalization, objectivation, and internalization in everyday life.
Subjects
星命術
紫微斗數
算命
正當化
the sociology of knowledge
the Chinese horoscope astrology
Zi-Wei-Dou-Shu（紫微斗數）
fortunetelling
scientism
legitimation
Type
thesis
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