Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
C. Lloyd Morgan
open-in-new
<h2 id="life">Life</h2> <p>Conwy Lloyd Morgan was born in London and studied at the <a href="/facts/Royal_School_of_Mines/S7eIryLV">Royal School of Mines</a> and subsequently under <a href="/facts/T._H._Huxley/NUNXtNdr">T. H. Huxley</a>. He taught in <a href="/facts/Cape_Town/tFrIG1gz">Cape Town</a>, but in 1884 joined the staff of the then <a href="/facts/University_of_Bristol/naU7Gvlc">University College, Bristol</a> as Professor of Geology and <a href="/facts/Zoology/6Kj13mBt">Zoology</a>, 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 <a href="/facts/Intelligence_(trait)/pRmAeRsw">intelligence</a> and <a href="/facts/Instinct/LY8dyt6a">instinct</a>, and in 1901 moved to become the college's first Professor of Psychology and Education. He was elected a <a href="/facts/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society/cWs8TdC5">Fellow of the Royal Society</a> in 1899, and gave the <a href="/facts/Croonian_Lecture/zmpAfKsD">Croonian Lecture</a> in 1901, titled <i>Studies in visual sensation</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p><p>In addition to his scientific work, Lloyd Morgan was active in academic administration. He became Principal of the University College, Bristol, in 1891, playing a central role in the campaign to secure it full university status. In 1893, he enrolled his son, C. Lloyd Morgan, at Bristol's <a href="/facts/Clifton_College%2c_Bristol/e8vycuVr">Clifton College</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> In 1909, when, with the award of a <a href="/facts/Royal_Charter/9R9nIJDR">Royal Charter</a>, the University College, Bristol became the University of Bristol and he was appointed as its first <a href="/facts/Vice-Chancellor/bDbHuh7E">Vice-Chancellor</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> an office he held for a year before deciding to become Professor of Psychology and Ethics until his retirement in 1919.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> He was president of the <a href="/facts/Aristotelian_Society/fMURpMPG">Aristotelian Society</a> from 1926 to 1927. </p><p>Following his retirement, Lloyd Morgan delivered a series of <a href="/facts/Gifford_Lectures/IX11SXMy">Gifford Lectures</a> at <a href="/facts/University_of_St_Andrews/IwXjmljw">St. Andrews</a> in 1921 and 1922 in which he discussed the concept of <a href="/facts/Emergent_evolution/SWQG9VlK">emergent evolution</a>. </p><p>Conwy Lloyd Morgan died in <a href="/facts/Hastings/AFL1btwr">Hastings</a>. </p> <h2 id="ethology">Ethology</h2> <h3>Morgan's Canon</h3> <p class="note">Further information: <a href="/facts/Morgan%2527s_Canon/PvdfMxS3">Morgan's Canon</a></p> <p>Morgan's Canon played a critical role in the growth of behaviourism in twentieth century academic psychology. The canon states: <i>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.</i> For example, Morgan considered that an entity should only be considered <a href="/facts/Conscious/IAxmgt6c">conscious</a> if there is no other explanation for its behaviour. </p><p><a href="/facts/W.H._Thorpe/PUP552zQ">W.H. Thorpe</a> commented as follows:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <blockquote><p>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.</p></blockquote> <p>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 <a href="/facts/Trial_and_error/NGm2GoEd">trial and error</a> learning (what we would now call <a href="/facts/Operant_conditioning/8TqfQQGq">operant conditioning</a>). An example is the skilful way in which his <a href="/facts/Terrier/uPshVUXw">terrier</a> Tony opened the garden gate, easily imagined as an <a href="/facts/Insight/KQYgz0Ff">insightful</a> 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. </p> <h3>Instinct versus learning</h3> <p>Lloyd Morgan carried out extensive research to separate, as far as possible, inherited behaviour from learnt behaviour. Eggs of chicks, ducklings and <a href="/facts/Moorhen/Q7qjopf1">moorhens</a> were raised in an <a href="/facts/Incubator_(egg)/yu3v6sjW">incubator</a>, and the hatchlings kept from adult birds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Their behaviour after hatching was recorded in detail. Lastly, the behaviour was interpreted as simply as possible. Lloyd Morgan was not the first to work on these questions. <a href="/facts/Douglas_Spalding/X0LYJ3hU">Douglas Spalding</a> in the 1870s had done some remarkable work on inherited behaviour in birds.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> His early death in 1877 led to his work being largely forgotten until the 1950s, but Lloyd Morgan cited Spalding's observations in his own work.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="quotations">Quotations</h2> <ul><li>Given two different minds and the same facts, how different are the products! – <a href="https://archive.org/stream/animallifeintel00morgiala"><i>Animal Life and Intelligence</i></a> (1891), page 335</li></ul> <h2 id="books">Books</h2> <ul><li><i>The springs of conduct: an essay in evolution</i>. (1885). Kegan Paul, London.</li> <li><i>Animal biology</i>. (1887). Rivington, London.</li> <li><a href="http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009260625"><i>Animal sketches</i></a>. [1891]. Arnold, London.</li> <li><i>Animal life and intelligence</i>. (1891). Arnold, London.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li> <li><i>Introduction to comparative psychology</i>. (1894). Routledgethoemmes, London.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li> <li><i>Psychology for teachers</i>. (1894). Arnold, London.</li> <li><i>Habit and instinct</i>. (1896). Arnold, London.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li> <li><i>Animal behaviour</i>. (1900). Arnold, London.</li> <li><i>The interpretation of nature</i>. (1906).</li> <li><i>Instinct and experience</i>. (1912). Methuen, London.</li> <li><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37513"><i>Spencer's Philosophy of Science</i></a>. (1919). Oxford University Press.</li> <li><i><a href="http://www.giffordlectures.org/lectures/emergent-evolution">Emergent evolution</a></i>. (1923). Henry Holt.</li> <li><i>Life, mind, and spirit</i>. (1925). Henry Holt.</li> <li><i><a href="/facts/Creation_by_Evolution/kQsFz9Mb">Creation by Evolution</a></i>. (1928). The Macmillan Company, New York.</li> <li><i>Mind at the crossways</i>. (1929).</li> <li><i>Animal Mind</i>. (1930). Arnold, London</li> <li><i>The emergence of novelty</i>. (1933).</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <a href="/facts/Wikisource/TrMdylNf">Wikisource</a> has original works by or about:<i>C. Lloyd Morgan</i> <ul><li><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33458">Works by Conwy Lloyd Morgan</a> at <a href="/facts/Project_Gutenberg/2l0R6GgQ">Project Gutenberg</a></li> <li><a href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=%28%28subject%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20Lloyd%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20L%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Morgan%2C%20C%2E%20L%2E%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Conwy%20Lloyd%20Morgan%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Conwy%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22C%2E%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Conwy%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Conwy%20Lloyd%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Conwy%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22C%2E%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22C%2E%20Lloyd%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20Lloyd%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20L%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Morgan%2C%20C%2E%20L%2E%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Morgan%2C%20C%2E%20Lloyd%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Conwy%20Morgan%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Conwy%20Lloyd%20Morgan%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Conwy%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20title%3A%22C%2E%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Conwy%20Morgan%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Conwy%20Lloyd%20Morgan%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Conwy%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20description%3A%22C%2E%20L%2E%20Morgan%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20Lloyd%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%20L%2E%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Conwy%20Morgan%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Morgan%2C%20Conwy%22%29%20OR%20%28%221852-1936%22%20AND%20Morgan%29%29%20AND%20%28-mediatype:software%29">Works by or about C. Lloyd Morgan</a> at the <a href="/facts/Internet_Archive/PHStU8Lo">Internet Archive</a></li> <li><a href="http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Morgan/murchison.htm">Biography of Lloyd Morgan</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.consciousentities.com/tactics.htm">Discussion Lloyd Morgan's canon as applied to consciousness</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>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. <a href="/wiki/Obituary_Notices_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society" target="_blank">/wiki/Obituary_Notices_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Fellow details: Morgan; Conwy Lloyd (1852-1936)". Royal Society Collections. Retrieved 14 March 2018. <a href="https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27morgan,%20conwy%20lloyd%27%29" target="_blank">https://collections.royalsociety.org/DServe.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27morgan,%20conwy%20lloyd%27%29</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Clifton College (Bristol, England), Clifton College, Clifton, England". J.W. Arrowsmith. 1897: 354. Page 354 - (Commenced Sept. 1890) ...C. Lloyd Morgan, son of Professor Lloyd Morgan {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=CY9PAAAAYAAJ&dq=clifton+College+Professor+C.+Lloyd+Morgan&pg=PA354" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=CY9PAAAAYAAJ&dq=clifton+College+Professor+C.+Lloyd+Morgan&pg=PA354</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Bristol University – Former Officers". University of Bristol. Retrieved 22 June 2007. <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cms/go/statutes/records/formerofficers.html" target="_blank">http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cms/go/statutes/records/formerofficers.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Conwy Lloyd Morgan Papers". Archives Hub. Retrieved 28 January 2018. <a href="https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb3-dm128" target="_blank">https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb3-dm128</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>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 <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Griffin D.R. 1976. The question of animal awareness. Rockefeller University Press, New York. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>A similar comment was made by Edwin G. Boring in his A history of experimental psychology, 2nd ed 1950: chapter 10 British psychology, p474. <a href="/wiki/Edwin_G._Boring" target="_blank">/wiki/Edwin_G._Boring</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>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. <a href="/wiki/Obituary_Notices_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society" target="_blank">/wiki/Obituary_Notices_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Spalding D.A. 1873. Instinct. With original observations on young animals. Macmillan's Magazine. 27, 282–293. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Morgan, C.L. (1894). An Introduction to Comparative Psychology. Walter Scott, Ltd: London <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"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. <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489" target="_blank">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"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. <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489" target="_blank">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"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. <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489" target="_blank">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924065563672;view=1up;seq=489</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>