Conwy Lloyd Morgan, FRS[1] (6 February 1852 – 6 March 1936) was a British ethologist and psychologist. He is remembered for his theory of emergent evolution, and for the experimental approach to animal psychology now known as Morgan's Canon, a principle that played a major role in behaviourism, insisting that higher mental faculties should only be considered as explanations if lower faculties could not explain a behaviour.
Conwy 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. However, 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. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1899, and gave the Croonian Lecture in 1901, titled Studies in visual sensation.[2]
In addition to his scientific work, Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration. He became Principal of the University College, Bristol, in 1891 and 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,[3] an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919.[4] He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1926 to 1927.
Morgan's Canon played a critical role in the growth of behaviourism 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, Morgan considered that an entity should only be considered conscious if there is no other explanation for its behaviour.
The importance of this was enormous... [but] to the modern ethologist dealing with higher animals and faced as he is with ever-increasing evidence for the complexity of perceptual organisation... the very reverse of Morgan's canon often proves to be the best strategy.
The development of Morgan's Canon derived partly from his observations of behaviour. This provided cases where behaviour that seemed to imply higher mental processes could 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 imagined as an insightful act by someone seeing the final behaviour. 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.
Instinct versus learningedit
Morgan carried out extensive research to separate, as far as possible, inherited behaviour from learnt behaviour. Eggs of chicks, ducklings and moorhens were raised in an incubator, and the hatchlings kept from adult birds.[1] Their behaviour after hatching was recorded in detail. Lastly, the behaviour was interpreted as simply as possible. Morgan was not the first to work on these questions. Douglas Spalding in the 1870s had done some remarkable work on inherited behaviour in birds.[8] His early death in 1877 led to his work being largely forgotten until the 1950s, but Morgan cited Spalding's observations in his own work.[9]
Quotationsedit
Given two different minds and the same facts, how different are the products! – Animal Life and Intelligence (1891), page 335
Booksedit
Creation by evolution.
The springs of conduct: an essay in evolution. (1885). Kegan Paul, London.
Animal biology. (1887). Rivington, London.
Animal sketches. [1891]. Arnold, London.
Animal life and intelligence. (1891). Arnold, London.[10]
Introduction to comparative psychology. (1894). Routledgethoemmes, London.[10]
^"Fellow details: Morgan; Conwy Lloyd (1852-1936)". Royal Society Collections. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
^"Bristol University – Former Officers". University of Bristol. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
^"Conwy Lloyd Morgan Papers". Archives Hub. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
^Thorpe W.H. 1979. The origins and rise of ethology: the science of the natural behaviour of animals. Heinneman, London. p28/9 ISBN0-435-62441-5
^Griffin D.R. 1976. The question of animal awareness. Rockefeller University Press, New York.
^A similar comment was made by Edwin G. Boring in his A history of experimental psychology, 2nd ed 1950: chapter 10 British psychology, p474.
^Spalding D.A. 1873. Instinct. With original observations on young animals. Macmillan's Magazine. 27, 282–293.
^Morgan, C.L. (1894). An Introduction to Comparative Psychology. Walter Scott, Ltd: London
^ abc"Review of Animal Life and Intelligence by C. Lloyd Morgan; An Introduction to Comparative Psychology by C. Lloyd Morgan; Habit and Instinct by C. Lloyd Morgan". The Quarterly Review. 185: 477–502. April 1897.
External linksedit
Wikisource has original works by or about: C. Lloyd Morgan
lloyd, morgan, conwy, lloyd, morgan, february, 1852, march, 1936, british, ethologist, psychologist, remembered, theory, emergent, evolution, experimental, approach, animal, psychology, known, morgan, canon, principle, that, played, major, role, behaviourism, . Conwy Lloyd Morgan FRS 1 6 February 1852 6 March 1936 was a British ethologist and psychologist He is remembered for his theory of emergent evolution and for the experimental approach to animal psychology now known as Morgan s Canon a principle that played a major role in behaviourism insisting that higher mental faculties should only be considered as explanations if lower faculties could not explain a behaviour Conwy Lloyd Morgan Contents 1 Life 2 Ethology 2 1 Morgan s Canon 2 2 Instinct versus learning 3 Quotations 4 Books 5 References 6 External linksLife editConwy 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 However 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 He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1899 and gave the Croonian Lecture in 1901 titled Studies in visual sensation 2 In addition to his scientific work Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration He became Principal of the University College Bristol in 1891 and 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 3 an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919 4 He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1926 to 1927 Following his retirement Morgan delivered a series of Gifford Lectures at St Andrews in 1921 and 1922 in which he discussed the concept of emergent evolution He died in Hastings Ethology editMorgan s Canon edit Further information Morgan s Canon Morgan s Canon played a critical role in the growth of behaviourism 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 Morgan considered that an entity should only be considered conscious if there is no other explanation for its behaviour W H Thorpe commented as follows 5 6 7 The importance of this was enormous but to the modern ethologist dealing with higher animals and faced as he is with ever increasing evidence for the complexity of perceptual organisation the very reverse of Morgan s canon often proves to be the best strategy The development of Morgan s Canon derived partly from his observations of behaviour This provided cases where behaviour that seemed to imply higher mental processes could 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 imagined as an insightful act by someone seeing the final behaviour 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 Instinct versus learning edit Morgan carried out extensive research to separate as far as possible inherited behaviour from learnt behaviour Eggs of chicks ducklings and moorhens were raised in an incubator and the hatchlings kept from adult birds 1 Their behaviour after hatching was recorded in detail Lastly the behaviour was interpreted as simply as possible Morgan was not the first to work on these questions Douglas Spalding in the 1870s had done some remarkable work on inherited behaviour in birds 8 His early death in 1877 led to his work being largely forgotten until the 1950s but Morgan cited Spalding s observations in his own work 9 Quotations editGiven two different minds and the same facts how different are the products Animal Life and Intelligence 1891 page 335Books edit nbsp Creation by evolution The springs of conduct an essay in evolution 1885 Kegan Paul London Animal biology 1887 Rivington London Animal sketches 1891 Arnold London Animal life and intelligence 1891 Arnold London 10 Introduction to comparative psychology 1894 Routledgethoemmes London 10 Psychology for teachers 1894 Arnold London Habit and instinct 1896 Arnold London 10 Animal behaviour 1900 Arnold London The interpretation of nature 1906 Instinct and experience 1912 Methuen London Spencer s Philosophy of Science 1919 Oxford University Press Emergent evolution 1923 Henry Holt Life mind and spirit 1925 Henry Holt Creation by evolution 1928 The Macmillan Company New York Mind at the crossways 1929 Animal Mind 1930 Arnold London The emergence of novelty 1933 References edit a b Parsons J H 1936 Conwy Lloyd Morgan 1852 1936 Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 2 5 25 27 doi 10 1098 rsbm 1936 0003 Fellow details Morgan Conwy Lloyd 1852 1936 Royal Society Collections Retrieved 14 March 2018 Bristol University Former Officers University of Bristol Retrieved 22 June 2007 Conwy Lloyd Morgan Papers Archives Hub Retrieved 28 January 2018 Thorpe W H 1979 The origins and rise of ethology the science of the natural behaviour of animals Heinneman London p28 9 ISBN 0 435 62441 5 Griffin D R 1976 The question of animal awareness Rockefeller University Press New York A similar comment was made by Edwin G Boring in his A history of experimental psychology 2nd ed 1950 chapter 10 British psychology p474 Spalding D A 1873 Instinct With original observations on young animals Macmillan s Magazine 27 282 293 Morgan C L 1894 An Introduction to Comparative Psychology Walter Scott Ltd London a b c Review of Animal Life and Intelligence by C Lloyd Morgan An Introduction to Comparative Psychology by C Lloyd Morgan Habit and Instinct by C Lloyd Morgan The Quarterly Review 185 477 502 April 1897 External links edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about C Lloyd Morgan Works by Conwy Lloyd Morgan at Project Gutenberg Works by or about C Lloyd Morgan at Internet Archive Biography of Lloyd Morgan Discussion Lloyd Morgan s canon as applied to consciousness Preceded by None Vice Chancellor of the University of Bristol1909 Succeeded bySir Isambard Owen Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title C Lloyd Morgan amp oldid 1221677704, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
