Self preservation
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Self preservation is part of an animal's instinct that demands that the organism survives. 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 which has the affect of increased strength and heightened senses such as hearing, smell, and sight.
[edit] 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. This can be true of the average person under extreme circumstances such as starvation. In society, if one doesn't have the money to buy food, one might steal something to eat. This aspect could be self-preservation because what is happening isn't socially acceptable but is understood because of the need to feed. The idea of self-preservation is a main plot line for the Saw films. Where Jigsaw designs "games" to see how much pain his victims will put themself through to survive.
[edit] See also
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