De Waal: More and more, I believe that we share all emotions with other species in the same way that we share virtually every organ in our bodies with them. No exceptions.
FRANS DE WAAL: ‘Uniquely human emotions don’t exist. More and more, I believe that we share all emotions with other species in the same way that we share virtually every organ in our bodies with them. No exceptions. Like organs, the emotions evolved over millions of years to serve essential functions. Their usefulness has been tested again and again, giving them the wisdom of ages. They nudge us to do what is best for us. Some emotions may be more developed in humans, or apply to a wider range of circumstances, but none is fundamentally new.
This is not the prevailing view in science, though. The most popular theory proposes only six “primary” or “basic” emotions, which are universally recognized by their facial expressions, like anger (frowning stare), happiness (laugh and smile), and fear (eyes wide open, lips stretched horizontally). All other emotions are “secondary,” which means that they are cultural constructs that make us human.
But does anyone truly believe that just because an emotion lacks a specific face, we can claim it for ourselves? Open your front door and tell your dog that you are going out for a walk, then close the door and return to your seat. Your dog, who had been barking and wriggling with excitement, now slinks back to his basket and puts his head down on his paws. You have just witnessed both hope and disappointment in another species, even though neither counts as a basic emotion.
You may say that it is impossible to know what a dog feels. True, yet his behavior clearly reflects an abrupt change in his emotional state. Expressed in the body, these states are perfectly observable and measurable even if the associated private experiences are not’. SOURCE…
RELATED VIDEO: