I don't believe that we evolved moral psychology; it just doesn't seem plausible to me as a biological phenomenon.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
A growing body of evidence suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life.
As a social primate species, we modulate our morals with signals from family, friends and social groups with whom we identify because in our evolutionary past, those attributes helped individuals to survive and reproduce.
Very ancient parts of the brain are involved in moral decision making.
We are naturally moral beings, but our environments can enhance - or, sadly, degrade - this innate moral sense.
Morality is not just any old topic in psychology but close to our conception of the meaning of life. Moral goodness is what gives each of us the sense that we are worthy human beings.
Morality arose largely as an empirical defence of the individual and society. Ever since intelligent beings began to be in contact, and consequently in friction, they have felt the need to guard themselves against each other's encroachments.
I think we need to start thinking about grounding our moral systems in our biology.
Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.
Humans are born with a hard-wired morality: a sense of good and evil is bred in the bone. I know this claim might sound outlandish, but it's supported now by research in several laboratories.
Very long ago our ancestors had moral systems. Our current institutions are only a couple of thousand years old, which is really not old in the eyes of a biologist.