Abstract: The evolved module of fear hypothesizes that the human fear has its evolutionary origin. After long history of evolution, we human mind is shaped like a crowded zoo, which is comprised of a lot of domain-specific programs, and during which the fear module is one of them. The fear module is sensitive to stimuli that have been correlated with threatening encounter in the evolutionary past and has four characteristics: selectivity; automaticity; encapsulation; specific neural circuitry. Evidence supporting these propositions is reviewed from multiple studies, both in primates and humans. However, fear module also faces lots of critics, especially on its automaticity hypothesis and whether it is preferentially activated by stimuli that are fear relevant in a phylogenetic scene. Future study should consider the influence of cultural selection and other selection pressures on fear module. Also, more study results on EEA and subtle experimental designs will help on the further development of fear module.

Key words: fear module, evolution, fear-relevant stimuli, cultural evolution