The expression of the emotions in man and animals c. 1872

Here we have Charles Darwin's exploration of the universality of emotions, "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals," published in 1872. Darwin, writing during a time of intense scientific and social change, sought to bridge the gap between humans and animals by studying their emotional expressions. The book, in its essence, challenges the then-prevailing views of human exceptionalism. It uses observations of diverse cultures, genders, and even those with mental illness, to argue that emotions and their expressions are not unique to any specific race, gender or class of human, but are rather shared across species. Darwin believed that our emotions are vestiges of our shared evolutionary past. "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" was groundbreaking. It invited a rethinking of what it means to be human, to be animal, and how deeply interconnected we all are. It prompts us to consider how our internal experiences manifest outwardly, and how those expressions can both unite and divide us.