The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
In this pioneering work, Darwin argues that human emotions and their physical expressions—smiling, frowning, weeping, blushing—are universal and inherited, shared across cultures and even with animals, offering striking evidence for evolutionary continuity. Illustrated with early photographs and rich observation, it founded the scientific study of emotion and body language. Insightful and surprisingly readable, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals extends Darwin’s evolutionary vision into psychology and remains influential in science today. A fascinating exploration of why we express feeling as we do, it reveals the breadth of Darwin’s curiosity and his conviction that humanity is deeply woven into the natural world.
About the Author
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection, set out in On the Origin of Species, transformed biology and our understanding of life on Earth.
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Listen to The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals Audiobook Free
Listen to The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin free online. The full audiobook (11 hr 13 min, 27 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1899) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction, Part 1 | 26:20 | |
| 2 | Introduction, Part 2 | 25:24 | |
| 3 | Ch. I: General Principles of Expression, Part 1 | 23:22 | |
| 4 | Ch. I: General Principles of Expression, Part 2 | 18:26 | |
| 5 | Ch. II: General Principles of Expression, continued | 18:27 | |
| 6 | Ch. III: General Principles of Expression, concluded | 30:59 | |
| 7 | Ch. IV: Means of Expression in Animals, Part 1 | 30:39 | |
| 8 | Ch. IV: Means of Expression in Animals, Part 2 | 25:14 | |
| 9 | Ch. V: Special Expressions of Animals, Part 1 | 25:32 | |
| 10 | Ch. V: Special Expressions of Animals, Part 2 | 24:13 | |
| 11 | Ch. VI: Special Expressions of Man - Suffering and Weeping, Part 1 | 34:21 | |
| 12 | Ch. VI: Special Expressions of Man - Suffering and Weeping, Part 2 | 31:14 | |
| 13 | Ch. VII: Low Spirits, Anxiety, Grief, Dejection, Despair, Part 1 | 22:01 | |
| 14 | Ch. VII: Low Spirits, Anxiety, Grief, Dejection, Despair, Part 2 | 20:30 | |
| 15 | Ch. VIII: Joy, High Spirits, Love, Tender Feelings, Devotion, Part 1 | 23:16 | |
| 16 | Ch. VIII: Joy, High Spirits, Love, Tender Feelings, Devotion, Part 2 | 19:09 | |
| 17 | Ch. IX: Reflection, Meditation, Ill-temper, Sulkiness, Determination | 30:14 | |
| 18 | Ch. X: Hatred and Anger | 28:31 | |
| 19 | Ch. XI: Disdain, Contempt, Disgust, Guilt, Pride etc. Helplessness, Patience, Affirmation and Negation, Part 1 | 19:56 | |
| 20 | Ch. XI: Disdain, Contempt, Disgust, Guilt, Pride etc. Helplessness, Patience, Affirmation and Negation, Part 2 | 25:56 | |
| 21 | Ch. XII: Surprise, Astonishment, Fear, Horror, Part 1 | 30:08 | |
| 22 | Ch. XII: Surprise, Astonishment, Fear, Horror, Part 2 | 30:42 | |
| 23 | Ch. XIII: Self-Attention, Shame, Shyness, Modesty: Blushing, Part 1 | 27:12 | |
| 24 | Ch. XIII: Self-Attention, Shame, Shyness, Modesty: Blushing, Part 2 | 23:38 | |
| 25 | Ch. XIII: Self-Attention, Shame, Shyness, Modesty: Blushing, Part 3 | 26:13 | |
| 26 | Ch. XIV: Concluding Remarks and Summary, Part 1 | 15:05 | |
| 27 | Ch. XIV: Concluding Remarks and Summary, Part 2 | 16:21 |
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