[[Image:Lloyd-Morgan.jpg|thumb|right|C.Lloyd Morgan - alsofamousforhisbeard.]]
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Lloyd Morgan wasborninNewYorkandstudiedatthe[[RoyalSchoolofMines]] and subsequently under [[T. H. Huxley]]. He taughtin[[CapeTown]], but in [[1884]] joined the staffof 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 (trait)|intelligence]] and [[instinct]], and in [[1901]] moved to becomethe college's first Professor of Psychology and Education. He is best remembered for coining the proposition now known as "[[Morgan's Canon]]" or "Lloyd Morgan's canon." Although no more than a specialised form of [[Occam's razor]], it played a critical role in the growth of the prestige 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, we should only consider an entity as 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 more and more important.
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'''C. Lloyd Morgan'''(ConwyLloydMorgan)(6February1852-6March1936)wasaBritish [[psychology|psychologist]]. He isbestrememberedfor the experimentalapproach to animalpsychology now known as "[[Morgan's canon]]".
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The prestige of Lloyd Morgan'scanonpartlyderivesfromthefactthatLloydMorganwas himself an acute observer of behaviour, and providedconvincingexamplesofcaseswherebehaviourthatapparentlyinvolvedhighermentalprocessescouldinfactbeexplainedbysimpletrialanderrorlearning(whatwewouldnowcall[[operantconditioning]]).AfamousexampleistheskilfulwayinwhichhisterrierTonyopened the gardengate,easilytakenbysomeoneseeingthefinalbehaviouras an [[insight]]ful act; Lloyd Morgan, however, had watched and recordedtheseriesofapproximations by which the doghadgraduallylearnedthe response, and coulddemonstrate that no insight was required to explain it.
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Lloyd Morgan wasborninLondonandstudiedattheRoyalSchool of Mines and subsequentlyunder[[T.H.Huxley]].HetaughtinCapeTown,butin1884joinedthestaffofthethenUniversityCollege,BristolasProfessorofGeologyandZoology,andcarriedoutsomeresearchoflocalinterestinthosefields.Buthequicklybecameinterestedin the fieldhecalled"mentalevolution",theborderlandbetween[[intelligence(trait)|intelligence]]and [[instinct]], and in1901movedtobecome the college'sfirstProfessorofPsychology and Education.
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As wellashisscientificwork, Lloyd Morgan wasactiveinacademicadministration.Hebecame Principal of the University College in [[1891]] andconsequentlyplayedacentralroleinthecampaigntosecureitfulluniversitystatus.In[[1909]],when,with the award of a [[RoyalCharter]], thecollegebecame the [[University of Bristol]], hewasappointedasitsfirst [[Vice-Chancellor]],anofficehehelduntilhisretirementin[[1919]]. Hediedin [[Hastings]].
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As aspecialisedformof[[Occam's razor]], Morgan'scanonplayedacriticalroleinthegrowth of [[behaviourism]] intwentiethcenturyacademicpsychology.Thecanonstates''Innocasemayweinterpretanactionastheoutcomeof the exercise of a highermental faculty, ifitcan be interpreted as the exercise of one which stands lower in the psychological scale.'' For example, anentityshouldonlybeconsidered [[conscious]] ifthereisnootherexplanationforitsbehaviour. Asthestudy of [[animal cognition]] has become popular, a disciplined use of Lloyd Morgan's canon has become important.
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The development of Morgan's canon derived partly from his careful observations of behaviour, which provided convincing examples of cases where behaviour 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 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.
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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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| publisher = Archives Hub | accessdate = 2007-06-22 | url = http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/eadhtml/VSPOKES-ead-bristol/frames/53A0.html}}</ref> He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1926 to 1927. He died in Hastings.
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Following retirement, Morgan delivered a series of Gifford Lectures at University of St Andrews in 1921 and 1922. In them he helped develop the concept of [[emergent evolution]].
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==Quotations==
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*Given two different minds and the same facts, how different are the products! - [http://www.archive.org/stream/animallifeintel00morgiala ''Animal Life and Intelligence''], page 335
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== Legacy ==
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He invented the Lloyd's rod, that nowadays is used to educated dogs in Germany and in the south of Chile
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==References==
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<references />
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==Books==
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*''Emergent Evolution'' (1923). Henry Holt and Co., ISBN 0-40460468-4, [http://www.giffordlectures.org/Browse.asp?PubID=TPEMEV&Cover=TRUE online version]
C. Lloyd Morgan (Conwy Lloyd Morgan) (6 February 1852 - 6 March 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 specialised form of Occam's razor, 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, 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 behaviour 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 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.
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 University of St Andrews in 1921 and 1922. In them he helped develop the concept of emergent evolution.
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