You're totally right. What effect does that have on human society though?

Empathy isn't some divine attribute, it's a product of evolution. You said yourself that empathy is a fundamental human trait. Where do fundamental traits come from? The are biological. They are encoded in our genes, which produce chemical interactions, which interact with pre-existing chemicals and structures, and all of these things together give rise to behavior. Ethical thinking is also rooted in biology. There are certain areas of the brain that are associated with either behavior.

Empathy helps us raise successful offspring more effectively. It helps us build more cohesive societies which give us greater stability which allows us to have more successful offspring. Ethical values allow us to have more offspring for the same reason (see my last post). Genes that give rise to empathetic and ethical thoughts and behavior have become so widespread as to become "innate" because they give our species a reproductive advantage. Reproductive advantage is the "goal" so to speak of both empathetic and ethical behavior. That is why they evolved.

An animal being in pain has no direct impact on