Wow, this is old.
My take on it is to agree that fear is universal, and quite likely the most fundmental evolutionary trait of sentient animals besides the urge to reproduce. Consider how it's tied into involuntary nervous system responses, especially the adrenaline rush and the collection of reflexes characterized as "fight or flight." Without it so deeply ingrained in the primitive brain, I can't imagine a species surviving for long.
Then again, once a species hits a certain point (I'm not sure if I'd say a certain point in evolution or a certain point in societal development,) its importance diminishes. Most people will not be exposed to life-or-death situations before they are able to intelligently analyze the situation, if at all. It's something I'll have to think about more.
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