[aplacelikethis]

Unless all species naturally end up at that stage and the only way to the next stage of evolution is to rise above it.

Or if every animal life is net more pain than enjoyment.

Or if it's the only way to have any lifeform exist into perpetuity. Then we're net beneficial to all other life on the planet as long as any of it survives along with us; disregarding that we're perpetuating a boatload of genes just by continuing to exist.

Any individual animal has a survival instinct. We have a survival instinct that encompasses much larger groups than that of any animal.

[andrewksl]

It’s a survival instinct when there’s two mouths to feed, and one meal to do it.

When there’s enough for everyone and more, and we take enough resources for 50 because then we get it faster, cheaper, and shinier... well, I wouldn’t personally describe that as survival instinct.