<p>Why is it that humans feel compassion towards non-humans, such as animals? For me, the sight of an injured bird causes an emotional response, but I cannot explain what would cause it. From an evolutionary standpoint, I can't think what advantage compassion towards "prey" would bring for survival.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T11:11:39.723Z
Not only humans have proved to have this ability, and not all humans have it.
Berit Larsen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T21:43:34.163Z
See the literature on "mind perception" (e.g., Wegner, Gray).
mrt
<evolution><evolutionary-psychology><moral-psychology>
Why do humans feel compassion towards non-humans?
Adrian Collado
# Why do humans feel compassion towards non-humans?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-03-22)

Why is it that humans feel compassion towards non-humans, such as animals? For me, the sight of an injured bird causes an emotional response, but I cannot explain what would cause it. From an evolutionary standpoint, I can't think what advantage compassion towards "prey" would bring for survival.

**Tags:** evolution, evolutionary-psychology, moral-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Not only humans have proved to have this ability, and not all humans have it.  
> **username_2**: See the literature on "mind perception" (e.g., Wegner, Gray).  

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## 0 answers

