From the time our ancestors dropped from the trees and began walking across the savannah on two legs to the day our great-grandchildren post their first Tweet, our understanding of ethics will have followed a circuitous path from gut to brain.
Our ancestors developed an evolutionary adaptation that enabled them to live relatively peacefully in small, cooperating groups—rudimentary feelings that delighted or disturbed them and that they came to identify with right and wrong, good and bad. Harming another human being—generally wrong. Caring for younger or weaker members of the tribe—generally right. Dividing hunting spoils fairly—good. Freeloaders who do not pull their weight—bad.
Over time, different religions and ...
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