The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin (adult books to read TXT) 📕

Associated habitual movements in the lower animals—

Concluding remarks …………27-49

CHAP. II—GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EXPRESSION—_continued_. The Principle of Antithesis—Instances in the dog and cat—Origin of the principle—

Conventional signs—The principle of antithesis has not arisen from opposite actions being consciously performed under opposite impulses ……….50-65

CHAP. III—GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EXPRESSION—_concluded_.

The principle of the direct action of the excited nervous system on the body, independently of the will and in part of habit—Change of colour in the hair—

Trembling of the muscles—Modified secretions—Perspiration—Expression of extreme pain—Of rage, great joy, and terror—Contrast between the emotions which cause and do not cause expressive movements—Exciting and depressing states of the mind—Summary…………………………………….. 66-82

CHAP. IV—MEANS OF EXPRESSION. IN ANIMALS. The emission of sounds—

Vocal sounds—Sounds otherwise produced—Erection of the dermal appendages, hairs, feathers, &c., under the emotions of anger and terror—The drawing back of the ears as a preparation for fighting, and as an expression of anger—

Erection of the ears and raising the head, a sign of attention 88-114

CHAP. V.—SPECIAL EXPRESSIONS OF ANIMALS. The Dog, various expressive movements of—Cats—Horses—Ruminants—Monkeys, their expression of joy and affection—Of pain—Anger Astonishment and Terror Pages 115-145

CHAP. VI.—SPECIAL EXPRESSIONS OF MAN: SUFFERING AND WEEPING. The screaming and weeping of infants—Form of features—Age at which weeping commences—

The effects of habitual restraint on weeping—Sobbing—Cause of the contraction of the muscles round the eyes during screaming—

Cause of the secretion of tears 146-175

CHAP. VII.—LOW SPIRITS, ANXIETY, GRIEF, DEJECTION, DESPAIR. General effect of grief on the system—Obliquity of the eyebrows under suffering—

On the cause of the obliquity of the eyebrows—On the depression of the corners of the mouth 176-195

CHAP. VIII.—JOY, HIGH SPIRITS, LOVE, TENDER FEELINGS, DEVOTION.

Laughter primarily the expression of joy—Ludicrous ideas—

Movements of the features during laughter—Nature of the sound produced—

The secretion of tears during loud laughter—Gradation from loud laughter to gentle smiling—High spirits—The expression of love—

Tender feelings—Devotion 196-219

CHAP. IX.—REFLECTION—MEDITATION—ILL—TEMPER—SULKINESS DETERMINATION.

The act of frowning—Reflection with an effort or with the perception of something difficult or disagreeable—Abstracted meditation—

Ill-temper—Moroseness—Obstinacy—Sulkiness and pouting—

Decision or determination—The firm closure of the mouth 220-236

CHAP. X.-HATRED AND ANGER.

Hatred—Rage, effects of on the system—Uncovering of the teeth—

Rage in the insane—Anger and indignation—As expressed by the various races of man—Sneering and defiance—The uncovering of the canine teeth on one side of the face 237-252

CHAP. XI.—DISDAIN—CONTEMPT—DISGUST—GUILT—PRIDE, ETC.—HELPLESSNESS—

PATIENCE—AFFIRMATION AND NEGATION. Contempt, scorn and disdain, variously expressed—Derisive Smile—Gestures expressive of contempt—

Disgust—Guilt, deceit, pride, etc.—Helplessness or impotence—

Patience—Obstinacy—Shrugging the shoulders common to most of the races of man—Signs of affirmation and negation 253-277

CHAP. XII.—SURPRISE—ASTONISHMENT—FEAR—HORROR.

Surprise, astonishment—Elevation of the eyebrows—Opening the mouth—

Protrusion of the lips—Gestures accompanying surprise—

Admiration Fear—Terror—Erection of the hair—Contraction of the platysma muscle—Dilatation of the pupils—horror—Conclusion. Pages 278-308

CHAP. XIII.—SELF-ATTENTION—SHAME—SHYNESS—MODESTY: BLUSHING.

Nature of a blush—Inheritance—The parts of the body most affected—

Blushing in the various races of man—Accompanying gestures—

Confusion of mind—Causes of blushing—Self-attention, the fundamental element—Shyness—Shame, from broken moral laws and conventional rules—Modesty—Theory of blushing—Recapitulation 309-346

CHAP. XIV.—CONCLUDING REMARKS AND SUMMARY.

The three leading principles which have determined the chief movements of expression—Their inheritance—On the part which the will and intention have played in the acquirement of various expressions—

The instinctive recognition of expression—The bearing of our subject on the specific unity of the races of man—On the successive acquirement of various expressions by the progenitors of man—

The importance of expression—Conclusion 347-366

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE

1. Diagram of the muscles of the face, from Sir C. Bell 24

2. ” ” ” Henle … … … … … . 24

3. ” ” ” ” … … … … … . 25

4 Small dog watching a cat on a table 43

5 Dog approaching another dog with hostile intentions 52

6. Dog in a humble and affectionate frame of mind 53

7. Half-bred Shepherd Dog 54

8. Dog caressing his master 55

9. Cat, savage, and prepared to fight 58

10. Cat in an affectionate frame of mind 59

11. Sound-producing quills from the tail of the Porcupine 93

12. Hen driving away a dog from her chickens……98

13. Swan driving away an intruder……………..99

14. Head of snarling dog…………………….117

15. Cat terrified at a dog…………………..125

16. Cynopithecus niger, in a placid condition….135

17. The same, when pleased by being caressed…..135

18. Chimpanzee disappointed and sulky…………139

19. Photograph of an insane woman…………….296

20. Terror…………………………………299

21. Horror and Agony………………………..306

Plate I. to face page 147 Plate V. to face page 254.

” II. ” 178. ” VI. ” 264.

” III. ” 200. ” VII. ” 300.

” IV. ” 248.

N. B.—Several of the figures in these seven Heliotype Plates have been reproduced from photographs, instead of from the original negatives; and they are in consequence somewhat indistinct. Nevertheless they are faithful copies, and are much superior for my purpose to any drawing, however carefully executed.

ON THE EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS IN MAN AND ANIMALS.

INTRODUCTION.

MANY works have been written on Expression, but a greater number on Physiognomy,—that is, on the recognition of character through the study of the permanent form of the features. With this latter subject I am not here concerned. The older treatises,[1]

which I have consulted, have been of little or no service to me.

The famous `Conferences’[2] of the painter Le Brun, published in 1667, is the best known ancient work, and contains some good remarks.

Another somewhat old essay, namely, the `Discours,’ delivered 1774-1782, by the well-known Dutch anatomist Camper,[3] can hardly be considered as having made any marked advance in the subject.

The following works, on the contrary, deserve the fullest consideration.

Sir Charles Bell, so illustrious for his discoveries in physiology, published in 1806 the first edition, and in [1] J. Parsons, in his paper in the Appendix to the `Philosophical Transactions’ for 1746, p. 41, gives a list of forty-one old authors who have written on Expression.

[2] Conferences sur l’expression des differents Caracteres des Passions.’ Paris, 4to, 1667. I always quote from the republication of the `Conferences’ in the edition of Lavater, by Moreau, which appeared in 1820, as given in vol. ix. p. 257.

[3] `Discours par Pierre Camper sur le moyen de representer les diverses passions,’ &c. 1792. 1844 the third edition of his `Anatomy and Philosophy of Expression.’[4] He may with justice be said, not only to have laid the foundations of the subject as a branch of science, but to have built up a noble structure.

His work is in every way deeply interesting; it includes graphic descriptions of the various emotions, and is admirably illustrated.

It is generally admitted that his service consists chiefly in having shown the intimate relation which exists between the movements of expression and those of respiration.

One of the most important points, small as it may at first appear, is that the muscles round the eyes are involuntarily contracted during violent expiratory efforts, in order to protect these delicate organs from the pressure of the blood.

This fact, which has been fully investigated for me with the greatest kindness by Professors Donders of Utrecht, throws, as we shall hereafter see, a flood of light on several of the most important expressions of the human countenance.

The merits of Sir C. Bell’s work have been undervalued or quite ignored by several foreign writers, but have been fully admitted by some, for instance by M. Lemoine,[5] who with great justice says:—“Le livre de Ch. Bell devrait etre medite par quiconque essaye de faire parler le visage de l’homme, par les philosophes aussi bien que par les artistes, car, sous une apparence plus legere et sous le pretexte de l’esthetique, c’est un des plus beaux monuments de la science des rapports du physique et du moral.”

[4] I always quote from the third edition, 1844, which was published after the death of Sir C. Bell, and contains his latest corrections.

The first edition of 1806 is much inferior in merit, and does not include some of his more important views.

[5] `De la Physionomie et de la Parole,’ par Albert Lemoine, 1865, p. 101.

From reasons which will presently be assigned, Sir C. Bell did not attempt to follow out his views as far as they might have been carried.

He does not try to explain why different muscles are brought into action under different emotions; why, for instance, the inner ends of the eyebrows are raised, and the corners of the mouth depressed, by a person suffering from grief or anxiety.

In 1807 M. Moreau edited an edition of Lavater on Physiognomy,[6] in which he incorporated several of his own essays, containing excellent descriptions of the movements of the facial muscles, together with many valuable remarks.

He throws, however, very little light on the philosophy of the subject.

For instance, M. Moreau, in speaking of the act of frowning, that is, of the contraction of the muscle called by French writers the soucilier

(_corrigator supercilii_), remarks with truth:—“Cette action des sourciliers est un des symptomes les plus tranches de l’expression des affections penibles ou concentrees.” He then adds that these muscles, from their attachment and position, are fitted “a resserrer, a concentrer les principaux traits de la face, comme il convient dans toutes ces passions vraiment oppressives ou profondes, dans ces affections dont le sentiment semble porter l’organisation a revenir sur ellememe, a se contracter et a s’amoindrir, comme pour offrir moins de prise et de surface a des impressions redoutables ou importunes.”

He who thinks that remarks of this kind throw any light on the meaning or origin of the different expressions, takes a very different view of the subject to what I do.

[6] `L’Art de connaitre les Hommes,’ &c., par G. Lavater. The earliest edition of this work, referred to in the preface to the edition of 1820

in ten volumes, as containing the observations of M. Moreau, is said to have been published in 1807; and I have no doubt that this is correct, because the `Notice sur Lavater’ at the commencement of volume i.

is dated April 13, 1806. In some bibliographical works, however, the date of 1805—1809 is given, but it seems impossible that 1805 can be correct.

Dr. Duchenne remarks (`Mecanisme de la Physionomie Humaine,’-8vo edit.

1862, p. 5, and `Archives Generales de Medecine,’ Jan. et Fev.

1862) that M. Moreau “a compose pour son ouvrage un article important,”

&c., in the year 1805; and I find in volume i. of the edition of 1820 passages bearing the dates of December 12, 1805, and another January 5, 1806, besides that of April 13, 1806, above referred to.

In consequence of some of these passages having thus been COMPOSED in 1805, Dr. Duchenne assigns to M. Moreau the priority over Sir C. Bell, whose work, as we have seen, was published in 1806. This is a very unusual manner of determining the priority of scientific works; but such questions are of extremely little importance in comparison with their relative merits. The passages above quoted from M. Moreau and from Le Brun are taken in this and all other cases from the edition of 1820 of Lavater, tom. iv. p. 228, and tom. ix. p. 279. ” In the above passage there is but a slight, if any, advance in the philosophy of the subject, beyond that reached by the painter Le Brun, who, in 1667, in describing the expression of fright, says:—“Le sourcil qui est abaisse d’un cote et eleve de l’autre, fait voir que la partie elevee semble le vouloir joindre au cerveau pour le garantir du mal que l’ame apercoit, et le cote qui est abaisse et qui parait enfle, -nous fait trouver dans cet etat par les esprits qui viennent du cerveau en abondance, comme polir couvrir l’aine et la