Self preservation is part of an animal's instinct that demands that the organism survives at all costs. Pain and fear are parts of this mechanism. Pain causes discomfort so that the organism is inclined to stop the pain. Fear causes the organism to seek safety and may cause a release of adrenaline.

Self preservation and Morality

Many moral thinkers have made the human urge of self-preservation a foundation of their moral or political systems. Especially in the brand of social contract theory associated with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, it is assumed that people form societies in order to better preserve themselves.

Animals | Selbsterhaltung | Philosophy stubs