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As animals, we feel the inherent need to thrive and spread. However, as humans we recognize death, the only animal that does so. (Supposedly. If there are other sentient animals out there, I'll gladly put my theory aside since no other animal seems to act as we do when it comes to killing.) Where other animals kill one another for present need, we recognize that we can end another animal's life "early," for future need. It's an advantage we have over less developed animals. It's also, unfortunately a trait that very possibly leads us to believe that death or harm of an "opponent" is the preferable method of resolution.
There's also the idea of life credit. If it interests you, there's a section in White Noise by Don Delillo about it. But in sum: by killing the other guy, he cannot kill you. It's like trying to cure death by becoming it, like buying life by taking it. It's not a perfect answer, but maybe it charts the subconscious reasoning that lead to why a person kills. That is, the fear of their own death.
However, I'd like to think that we (humanity as a whole) will move out of the part of the genetic pool that is so deeply tied to the animalistic urge to kill and/or maim in order to gain dominance. I hope that it isn't that far off, there have certainly been people who show every sign of not being tied to such animalistic urges. And we are, after all, the most mentally developed animals on earth right now.
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