Morgan, C. Lloyd
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Lloyd Morgan was born in [[London]] and studied at the [[Royal School of Mines]] and subsequently under [[T. H. Huxley]]. He taught in [[Cape Town]], but in 1884 joined the staff of the then [[University of Bristol|University College, Bristol]] as Professor of [[Geology]] and [[Zoology]], and carried out some research of local interest in those fields. But he quickly became interested in the field he called "mental evolution," the borderland between [[intelligence]] and [[instinct]], and in 1901 moved to become the college's first Professor of Psychology and Education. | Lloyd Morgan was born in [[London]] and studied at the [[Royal School of Mines]] and subsequently under [[T. H. Huxley]]. He taught in [[Cape Town]], but in 1884 joined the staff of the then [[University of Bristol|University College, Bristol]] as Professor of [[Geology]] and [[Zoology]], and carried out some research of local interest in those fields. But he quickly became interested in the field he called "mental evolution," the borderland between [[intelligence]] and [[instinct]], and in 1901 moved to become the college's first Professor of Psychology and Education. | ||
| − | As a | + | As a specialized form of [[Occam's razor]], Morgan's canon played a critical role in the growth of [[behaviorism]] in twentieth century academic psychology. The canon states ''In no case may we interpret an action as the outcome of the exercise of a higher mental faculty, if it can be interpreted as the exercise of one which stands lower in the psychological scale.'' For example, an entity should only be considered [[conscious]] if there is no other explanation for its behaviour. As the study of [[animal cognition]] has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become important. |
| − | The development of Morgan's canon derived partly from his careful observations of behaviour, which provided convincing examples of cases where | + | The development of Morgan's canon derived partly from his careful observations of behaviour, which provided convincing examples of cases where behavior that seemed to imply higher mental processes could in fact be explained by simple trial and error learning (what we would now call [[operant conditioning]]). An example is the skilful way in which his [[terrier]] Tony opened the garden gate, easily understood as an [[insight]]ful act by someone seeing the final behavior. Lloyd Morgan, however, had watched and recorded the series of approximations by which the dog had gradually learned the response, and could demonstrate that no insight was required to explain it. |
As well as his scientific work, Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration. He became Principal of the University College, Bristol, in 1891 and consequently played a central role in the campaign to secure it full university status. In 1909, when, with the award of a [[Royal Charter]], the college became the [[University of Bristol]], he was appointed as its first [[Vice-Chancellor]],<ref>{{cite web | title = Bristol University - Former Officers | publisher = University of Bristol | accessdate = 2007-06-22 | url = http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cms/go/statutes/records/formerofficers.html}}</ref> an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919.<ref>{{cite web | title = Papers of the University of Bristol | As well as his scientific work, Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration. He became Principal of the University College, Bristol, in 1891 and consequently played a central role in the campaign to secure it full university status. In 1909, when, with the award of a [[Royal Charter]], the college became the [[University of Bristol]], he was appointed as its first [[Vice-Chancellor]],<ref>{{cite web | title = Bristol University - Former Officers | publisher = University of Bristol | accessdate = 2007-06-22 | url = http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cms/go/statutes/records/formerofficers.html}}</ref> an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919.<ref>{{cite web | title = Papers of the University of Bristol | ||
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:''In no case is an animal activity to be interpreted in terms of higher psychological processes, if it can be fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand lower in the scale of psychological evolution and development.'' (Morgan 1903, p. 59) | :''In no case is an animal activity to be interpreted in terms of higher psychological processes, if it can be fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand lower in the scale of psychological evolution and development.'' (Morgan 1903, p. 59) | ||
| − | In other words we should only consider | + | In other words we should only consider behavior as, for example, rational, purposive or affectionate if there is no other explanation in terms of the behaviors of more primitive life-forms to which we do not attribute those faculties. |
==Context== | ==Context== | ||
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==Evaluation== | ==Evaluation== | ||
| − | As the study of [[animal cognition]] has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become more and more important. D.A. Dewsbury calls Morgan's Canon "perhaps, the most quoted statement in the history of comparative psychology"<ref>D.A. Dewsbury, ''Comparative Psychology in the Twentieth Century''</ref> and [[Frans de Waal]] echoes in ''[[The Ape and the Sushi Master]]'' : "perhaps the most quoted statement in all of psychology." It has played a critical role in the growth of the prestige of [[ | + | As the study of [[animal cognition]] has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become more and more important. D.A. Dewsbury calls Morgan's Canon "perhaps, the most quoted statement in the history of comparative psychology"<ref>D.A. Dewsbury, ''Comparative Psychology in the Twentieth Century''</ref> and [[Frans de Waal]] echoes in ''[[The Ape and the Sushi Master]]'' : "perhaps the most quoted statement in all of psychology." It has played a critical role in the growth of the prestige of [[behaviorism]] in twentieth century academic psychology. |
| − | Lloyd Morgan's Canon is usually thought of as a special case of [[Occam's razor]] by virtue of its presupposition of simplicity that lower level interpretations are more parsimonious than higher level ones. See also the use of Morgan's canon in Biology at | + | Lloyd Morgan's Canon is usually thought of as a special case of [[Occam's razor]] by virtue of its presupposition of simplicity that lower level interpretations are more parsimonious than higher level ones. See also the use of Morgan's canon in Biology at Occam's Razor. |
==Main publications== | ==Main publications== | ||
Revision as of 15:08, 4 December 2008
C. Lloyd Morgan (Conwy Lloyd Morgan) (February 6, 1852 - March 6, 1936) was a British psychologist. He is best remembered for the experimental approach to animal psychology, now known as "Morgan's canon."
Lloyd Morgan was born in London and studied at the Royal School of Mines and subsequently under T. H. Huxley. He taught in Cape Town, but in 1884 joined the staff of the then University College, Bristol as Professor of Geology and Zoology, and carried out some research of local interest in those fields. But he quickly became interested in the field he called "mental evolution," the borderland between intelligence and instinct, and in 1901 moved to become the college's first Professor of Psychology and Education.
As a specialized form of Occam's razor, Morgan's canon played a critical role in the growth of behaviorism in twentieth century academic psychology. The canon states In no case may we interpret an action as the outcome of the exercise of a higher mental faculty, if it can be interpreted as the exercise of one which stands lower in the psychological scale. For example, an entity should only be considered conscious if there is no other explanation for its behaviour. As the study of animal cognition has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become important.
The development of Morgan's canon derived partly from his careful observations of behaviour, which provided convincing examples of cases where behavior that seemed to imply higher mental processes could in fact be explained by simple trial and error learning (what we would now call operant conditioning). An example is the skilful way in which his terrier Tony opened the garden gate, easily understood as an insightful act by someone seeing the final behavior. Lloyd Morgan, however, had watched and recorded the series of approximations by which the dog had gradually learned the response, and could demonstrate that no insight was required to explain it.
As well as his scientific work, Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration. He became Principal of the University College, Bristol, in 1891 and consequently played a central role in the campaign to secure it full university status. In 1909, when, with the award of a Royal Charter, the college became the University of Bristol, he was appointed as its first Vice-Chancellor,[1] an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919.[2] He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1926 to 1927. He died in Hastings.
Following retirement, Morgan delivered a series of Gifford Lectures at St. Andrews in 1921 and 1922. In them he helped develop the concept of emergent evolution.
Morgan's canon
Coined by 19th-century British psychologist C. Lloyd Morgan, Morgan's Canon (more usually called Lloyd Morgan's Canon, or occasionally Morgan's Canon of Interpretation) remains a fundamental precept of comparative (animal) psychology. In its developed form it states that:
- In no case is an animal activity to be interpreted in terms of higher psychological processes, if it can be fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand lower in the scale of psychological evolution and development. (Morgan 1903, p. 59)
In other words we should only consider behavior as, for example, rational, purposive or affectionate if there is no other explanation in terms of the behaviors of more primitive life-forms to which we do not attribute those faculties.
Context
Morgan was reacting to excessively anthropomorphic interpretation of animal behavior, specifically the anecdotal approach of George Romanes. The prestige of Lloyd Morgan's canon partly derives from the fact that Lloyd Morgan was himself an acute observer of behavior, and provided convincing examples of cases where behavior that apparently involved higher mental processes could in fact be explained by simple trial and error learning (what we would now call operant conditioning). A famous example is the skilful way in which his terrier Tony opened the garden gate, easily taken by someone seeing the final behavior as an insightful act; Lloyd Morgan, however, had watched and recorded the series of approximations by which the dog had gradually learned the response, and could demonstrate that no insight was required to explain it.
Evaluation
As the study of animal cognition has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become more and more important. D.A. Dewsbury calls Morgan's Canon "perhaps, the most quoted statement in the history of comparative psychology"[3] and Frans de Waal echoes in The Ape and the Sushi Master : "perhaps the most quoted statement in all of psychology." It has played a critical role in the growth of the prestige of behaviorism in twentieth century academic psychology.
Lloyd Morgan's Canon is usually thought of as a special case of Occam's razor by virtue of its presupposition of simplicity that lower level interpretations are more parsimonious than higher level ones. See also the use of Morgan's canon in Biology at Occam's Razor.
Main publications
- Morgan, C. L. (1894). An introduction to comparative psychology. London: W. Scott.
- Morgan, C. L. (1903). An introduction to comparative psychology, 2nd edition. London: W. Scott.
Notes
- ↑ Bristol University - Former Officers. University of Bristol. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ↑ Papers of the University of Bristol. Archives Hub. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
- ↑ D.A. Dewsbury, Comparative Psychology in the Twentieth Century
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Emergent Evolution (1923). Henry Holt and Co., ISBN 0-40460468-4, online version
- Life, Mind, and Spirit (1925). Henry Holt
- Epstein, R. (1984). The principle of parsimony and some applications in psychology. Journal of Mind and Behavior, 5, 119-130.
External links
- Lloyd Morgan’s Canon: A History of Misrepresentation
- On Misrepresenting Lloyd Morgan's Canon: Comment on Thomas
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