Page "Albertus Magnus" Paragraph 21

However, it is true that Albertus was deeply interested in astrology, as has been articulated by scholars such as Paola Zambelli.

In the high Middle Ages — and well into the early modern period — few intellectuals, if any, questioned the basic assumptions of astrology: humans live within a web of celestial influences that affect our bodies, and thereby motivate us to behave in certain ways.

Within this worldview, it was reasonable to believe that astrology could be used to predict the probable future of a human being.

Albertus made this a central component of his philosophical system, arguing that an understanding of the celestial influences affecting us could help us to live our lives more in accord with Christian precepts.

The most comprehensive statement of his astrological beliefs is to be found in a work he authored around 1260, now known as the Speculum astronomiae.

However, details of these beliefs can be found in almost everything he wrote, from his early Summa de bono to his last work, the Summa theologiae.