The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~120,000 words · 550 passages
Cite this work
- APACharles Darwin. (n.d.). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/the-expression-of-the-emotions-in-man-and-animals
- MLACharles Darwin. "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/the-expression-of-the-emotions-in-man-and-animals.
- ChicagoCharles Darwin. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/the-expression-of-the-emotions-in-man-and-animals.
What it is about
The 1872 book in which Darwin argues that the expressions of face and body are inherited, common to all peoples, and continuous with those of animals.
Context and history
The argument is a piece of evolution applied where nobody expected it: if the smile, anger or shame were cultural conventions, every people would have its own; if they are the remains of actions that once served some purpose, they must be the same everywhere. Darwin tested this by sending a questionnaire to missionaries and settlers around the world, by watching his own children from the cradle, and by visiting asylums and zoos. It is the first scientific book illustrated with photographs, and some are among the earliest photographs of expression in existence. It was forgotten for a century and recovered by the psychology of the 1970s; the argument about how far he was right is still going on.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Sound Producing Quills from Tail of a Porcupine. Fig. 11 Hen Driving Away a Dog from Her Chickens. Fig. 12 Swan Driving Away an Intruder. Fig 13 Head of Snarling Dog. Fig 14 Cat Terrified at a Dog. Fig.15 Cynopithecus Niger, Pleased by Being Caressed. Fig.17 Chimpanzee Disappointed and Sulky. Fig. 18 Screaming Infants. Plate I. Obliquity of the Eyebrows. Plate II Moderate Laughter and Smiling. Plate III Ill-temper. Plate IV Anger and Indignation. Plate VI Scorn and Disdain. Plate V Gestures of the Body. Plate VII Photograph of an Ins