Animals Experience Complex Emotions, According to Primatologist

Ask a pet owner if animals have emotions, writes primatologist Frans De Waal and they’ll say, “of course!” But ask a University professor, and they’ll squirm. While the leading theories in science only recognize basic emotions in animals such as anger, happiness and fear, De Wall argues that animals share all emotions with humans, including complex ones like hope, disappointment, guilt and empathy. Frans De Waal joins Forum to discuss his decades of research on the behavior and social intelligence of primates and his new book, “Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What they Tell Us about Ourselves.”