That's the primary reason for its existence, but until it actually happens there's no way to know for sure. > Wouldn't preserving humanity be more important?

That's the primary reason for its existence, but until it actually happens there's no way to know for sure. > Wouldn't preserving humanity be more important? The observed behavior of world leaders over the decades suggests otherwise. People are often quite willing to risk their lives in collective endeavors, like wars, which probably made sense in evolutionary terms. Evolution though can't effectively adapt to the existence of species ending weapons.