Researchers have discovered that dogs (and capuchin monkeys) may have an innate sense of morality.
“Monkeys and dogs judge humans by how they treat others.
Be nice – or your dog may judge you. Both pets and monkeys show a preference for people who help others, and this might explain the origins of our sense of morality.”
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2120909-monkeys-and-dogs-judge-huma...
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From an anthropological standpoint, morality developed within humanity via the need for survival.
Back when conditions were harsher, it was more beneficial to realize morality than to just kill anyone within the clan.
It's easy to see how animals often group together to help each other keep a lookout and many start sharing food.
But when it comes to more intelligent animals like primates, it's very easy to see how they behave much like we do when they don't have to fight for food. They share food, "scratch each others backs", educate their children. And so on... Most of them make up social order, like class societies. Much like in human culture.
A documentary I saw (I've been trying to find it again, I think it was French) was very interesting:
In Saudi Arabia, two geographically separate groups of Baboons, who live close to human population and can find a lot of food there, had started taking care of dogs. The religious regime had forbidden people to keep dogs, so there was large amounts of stray dogs that have turned into wild dog packs.
The baboons were teaching puppies their role in the pack, they groomed the dogs and shared food with them. The dogs in turn, acted as guards and even risked their lives to protect the baboons from other wild dog packs.
The baboons even started allowed cats to stay with the group, even thought they were of no practical use like the dogs. The baboons started treating them like pets and shared food with them as well.
It's not hard at all to imagine morality evolving with the human race.
But it's also very clear how it is depending on circumstances: It's evident how quickly we humans start acting like wild animals, as soon as we no longer can get ahold of the basics like food, water, shelter and so on, or when we face some form of threat to our existence.
Thanks to a Cthulhu Mythos Outer God, I found the documentary about the baboons that incorporate dogs (and cats) into their clan. The reason it was hard to find, was that all information about it is in French (when I watched on TV, it had translated subtitles).
If anyone wants to take a look, here is a link.
But be warned, there are some scenes that can feel brutal and/or distasteful (hey, it's baboons for crying out loud). For example, the handling of puppies when they take a puppy, and some may find their weird "acceptance" routine horrifying (they hump each other for a few seconds).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUgtcN3rPI
Fascinating!
Pain. Live by it, die by it. Given the option, reducing it changes behavioral patterns. Given the option, removing it witnesses peace and a sense of community. Given the option, defending against it turns it into a weapon and we're back to square one. But, in between we learn we have a sense of morality. The weapons it created by attempting to enforce it are just too cool not to further use and develop. So, we keep handy all things amoral for the fun of it.