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Prooost Davis's Reviews > The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
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When presented the theory of evolution, Darwin's contemporaries were willing to agree with it up to a point, but many people still wanted to believe that humans were a special case (uniquely created by God), much too advanced intellectually and morally to be related to the lower animals; others were upset that the theory said that Europeans were related to races they considered savage. Darwin wrote this book, as well as "Descent of Man," to demonstrate the similarities in behavior between man and the animals, and among the various races of man.
The book certainly succeeds in its purpose; whether some of Darwin's ideas about the origins of specific gestures and facial expressions have been borne out by subsequent experiment and observation, I don't know.
The last chapter but one includes a long discourse on blushing, which really interested Darwin as an evolutionary question. As an involuntary reaction to shyness, or positive or negative attention from others, where does blushing come from? Very fascinating!
The book certainly succeeds in its purpose; whether some of Darwin's ideas about the origins of specific gestures and facial expressions have been borne out by subsequent experiment and observation, I don't know.
The last chapter but one includes a long discourse on blushing, which really interested Darwin as an evolutionary question. As an involuntary reaction to shyness, or positive or negative attention from others, where does blushing come from? Very fascinating!
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Reading Progress
December 6, 2011
–
Started Reading
December 6, 2011
– Shelved
January 16, 2012
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Finished Reading
Whether these are just passive "evolutionary leftovers" (consequences of some sort of physiological action or constraint) or imply specific advantage in, for instance, communication, is the sort or reasoning science is made of.
The fact that Darwin was questioning such notions and concepts and, moreover, assuming universality of such traits (give the line of though of society during his lifetime), reinforces what a great thinker he was.