Problems with the use of Morgan’s Canon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6564e240112Keywords:
Morgan’s Canon, animal cognition, Comparative Psychology, Philosophy of ScienceAbstract
Morgan’s Canon constitutes a principle that has guided comparative psychology and other sciences that study animal cognition since their inception. It favors simpler cognitive processes as an explanation for animal behavior. Because of it, ascribing complex mental states to non-human animals has been avoided for a long time. This study will critically examine this principle based on its history and motivations. Specifically, two problems related to its use in science will be addressed. The first refers to the problem of justification, which states that its strength as an interpretative criterion has no adequate justification. The second involves the problem of testability, which affects scientific practice by failing to propose a testable hypothesis. Based on these problems, it follows that its use should be done cautiously, considering the probabilities of each context and the possibility of its application in testable hypotheses.
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