Studies on the emotions and acts of human beings and animals are continuing since pre historic days. In a gradual succession human beings tried to separate themselves from the main biotic nexus of the naturally prevailing habitations at different places. Conflicts regarding exercise of establishing a hold on biotic and abiotic resources has initiated from that moment onwards.
The Physiology or ‘Mechanism of Blushing,’ by Dr. Burgess, appeared
in 1839. Dr. Duchenne clearly apprehended this and other sources of error, and
as it is known that he was eminently successful in elucidating the physiology
of the muscles of the hand by the aid of electricity, it is probable that he is
generally in the right about the muscles of the face. In my opinion, Dr.
Duchenne has greatly advanced the subject by his treatment of it.
A distinguished
French anatomist, Pierre Gratiolet, gave a course of lectures on Expression at
the Sorbonne, and his notes were published (1865) after his death, under the
title of ‘De la Physionomie et des Mouvements d’Expression.’
Gratiolet
appears to overlook inherited habit, and even to some extent habit in the
individual; and therefore he fails, as it seems to me, to give the right
explanation, or any explanation at all, of many gestures and expressions.
Dr. Piderit
published in 1859 an essay on Expression, which I have not seen, but in which,
as he states, he forestalled Gratiolet in many of his views. In 1867 he
published his ‘Wissenschaftliches System der Mimik und Physiognomik.’
The following
two sentences will tell as much as can be briefly told: “the muscular movements
of expression are in part related to imaginary objects, and in part to
imaginary sensorial impressions. In this proposition lies the key to the
comprehension of all expressive muscular movements.” (s. 25) Again, “Expressive
movements manifest themselves chiefly in the numerous and mobile muscles of the
face, partly because the nerves by which they are set into motion originate in
the most immediate vicinity of the mind-organ, but partly also because these
muscles serve to support the organs of sense.”
Mr. Bain says,
“I look upon the expression so-called as part and parcel of the feeling. I
believe it to be a general law of the mind that along with the fact of inward
feeling or consciousness, there is a diffusive action or excitement over the
bodily members.” In another place he adds, “A very considerable number of the
facts may be brought under the following principle: namely, that states of
pleasure are connected with an increase, and states of pain with an abatement,
of some, or all, of the vital functions.”
Mr. Herbert
Spencer[1],
in his ‘Principles of Psychology’ (1855), makes the following remarks:—“Fear,
when strong, expresses itself in cries, in efforts to hide or escape, in
palpitations and trembling; and these are just the manifestations that would
accompany an actual experience of the evil feared. The destructive passions are
shown in a general tension of the muscular system, in gnashing of the teeth and
protrusion of the claws, in dilated eyes and nostrils in growls; and these are
weaker forms of the actions that accompany the killing of prey.”
Mr. Spencer appear to have been firmly convinced that species, man
of course included, came into existence in their present condition. Sir C.
Bell, being thus convinced, maintains that many of our facial muscles are
“purely instrumental in expression;” or are “a special provision” for this sole
object.
Sir C. Bell evidently wished to draw as broad a distinction as
possible between man and the lower animals; and he consequently asserts that
with “the lower creatures there is no expression but what may be referred, more
or less plainly, to their acts of volition or necessary instincts.”
Dr. Duchenne, after speaking of the movements of the limbs, refers
to those which give expression to the face. An illustrious physiologist Müller,
says, “The completely different expression of the features in different
passions shows that, according to the kind of feeling excited, entirely
different groups of the fibres of the facial nerve are acted on. Of the cause
of this we are quite ignorant.”
Acts and
conducts of animals are advanced on the ground of their emotional set up and of
their ancestral affinity towards certain performances. During the stage of
nourishment young animals rely to a greater extent on its mother. The change in
attitude is advanced in due course of time.[2]
Often we start imagine about advent of some extraordinary events or
some unexpected things in reality. Being inflicted with certain imagination we
often think about some events which may appear absurd in real sense. We imagine
some human encounters with tiger and try to prove the bravery of human beings
by keeping the down play of tiger in the imaginary realm of interactions. Our
imagination is another and still more serious source of error; for if from the
nature of the circumstances we expect to see any expression, we acknowledge
presence of some peculiar tasks in real life, we intend to establish our act of
supremacy over animals, we readily
imagine its presence in real life situation. Notwithstanding Dr. Duchenne’s
great experience, he for a long time fancied, as he states, that several
muscles contracted under certain emotions, whereas he ultimately convinced
himself that the movement was confined to a single muscle.
While explaining the hidden facts behind the affinity with which
animals exhibit many emotions, as Sir C. Bell remarks, “with extraordinary
force;” whereas, in after life, some of our expressions “cease to have the pure
and simple source from which they spring in infancy.”
Prof. Huxley remarks (‘Elementary Physiology,’ 5th edit. p. 305)
that reflex actions proper to the spinal cord are natural; but, by the help of
the brain, that is through habit, an infinity of artificial reflex actions may
be acquired. Virchow admits[3]
that some reflex actions can hardly be distinguished from instincts; and, of
the latter, it may be added, some acts and conducts cannot be distinguished
from inherited habits. It is difficult to determine, with certainty, what are
the movements of the features and of the body, which commonly characterize
certain states of the mind. Nevertheless, some of the doubts and difficulties
have, as I hope, been cleared away by the observation of infants, of the
insane, of the different races of man,
of works of art and lastly, of the facial muscles under the action of
galvanism, as effected by Dr. Duchenne.
One must learn the science of
emotions and gestures for acquainting oneself with the wishes and wants of an
animal having no power to express their feelings in the form of dialects.[4]
We came at the terminal of our
discussion regarding conservation strategies and human aspirations associated
with it. Through all our discussions, regarding implements of Golden Triangle,
Aspiration of the Ark people and involvement of Native Indians in the effort of
making our environment a suitable place of living, we came to a state of
understanding where the essence of imparting people from various walks of life
for making conservation strategy a successful one is becoming an established
fact. Cost of the deforestation at the rate of the loss of non-replaceable
resource is the most strategic concern through which loss of the natural
habitat of animals and birds is also advanced.
Participation of people for the purpose of attaining success will be
accomplishable only through incorporating aspirations of people in the
monitoring and evaluation diagram duly prepared by the conservators and allied
agencies. Acts and conducts should have adequate access to people from various
walks of life. Operational areas of Joint Forest Management should be increased
to such extent for incorporating areas of social Forestry, Natural Forestry and
other non-reserve canopy.
Joint initiatives with an
attentiveness of linking people with the main productivity nexus will be
desired state for any nation to accomplish. All development programmes and
strategic interventions are accorded to bring forth such desired results in reality.
India, having a balanced democratic governance, can bring success through such
desired participatory efforts. It is also expected that people with an enhanced
level of understanding can materialise conservation strategies in a better way.
[1] Since the publication of the essay just referred
to, Mr. Spencer has written another, on “Morals and Moral Sentiments,” in the
‘Fortnightly Review,’ April 1, 1871, p. 426. He has, also, now published his
final conclusions in vol. ii. of the second edit. of the ‘Principles of
Psychology,’ 1872, p. 539. I may state, in order that I may not be accused of
trespassing on Mr. Spencer’s domain, that I announced in my ‘Descent of Man,’
that I had then written a part of the present volume: my first MS. notes on the
subject of expression bear the date of the year 1838. Mr. Spencer (‘Essays,’
Second Series, 1863, p. 138) has drawn a clear distinction between emotions and
sensations, the latter being “generated in our corporeal framework.” He classes
as Feelings both emotions and-sensations.
[2] A remark to much the same effect was made long
ago by Hippocrates and by the illustrious Harvey; for both assert that a young
animal forgets in the course of a few days the art of sucking, and cannot
without some difficulty again acquire it. I give these assertions on the
authority of Dr. Darwin, ‘Zoonomia,’ 1794, vol. i. p. 140.
The Senses
and the Intellect,’ 2nd edit. 1864, p. 332. Prof. Huxley remarks (‘Elementary
Lessons in Physiology,’ 5th edit. 1872, p. 306), “It may be laid down as a
rule, that, if any two mental states be called up together, or in succession,
with due frequency and vividness, the subsequent production of the one of them
will suffice to call up the other, and that whether we desire it or not.
[3] ‘Sammlung wissenschaft.
Vorträge,’ &c., “Ueber das Rückenmark,” 1871, ss. 24, 31
[4] Dr. W. R. Scott’s interesting work, ‘The Deaf
and Dumb,’ 2nd edit. 1870, p. 12. He says, “This contracting of natural gestures
into much shorter gestures than the natural expression requires, is very common
amongst the deaf and dumb. This contracted gesture is frequently so shortened
as nearly to lose all semblance of the natural one, but to the deaf and dumb
who use it, it still has the force of the original expression.”
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