The suggestion that primates are capable of human-like emotions was notably made by Charles Darwin. In his 1872 work, "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals," Darwin proposed that animals, including primates, display many of the same emotions that humans do. He argued that emotions serve adaptive and communicative functions and that emotional expressions are outward communications of inner states. Darwin's approach laid the foundation for the scientific study of emotions in non-human animals, emphasizing evolutionary continuity between humans and primates in experiencing emotions.
Later researchers such as Frans de Waal have built on Darwin’s insights, providing further evidence of complex emotional lives in primates, including empathy, anger, shame, and guilt. This line of research supports the idea that primates share foundational emotional capacities with humans.
Thus, Charles Darwin is the key figure who initially suggested primates were capable of emotions akin to human emotions.
