An evolutionary view of morality and religion

I prepared this summary for a discussing group in the next month.  Thought it might be interesting to others as well.  In the previous blog I mused about the incompatibilities between contemplation and structured morality.  Here I see a different relationship.

The fundamental guiding principle of life is evolution.  Whether it is thought of as the survival of the individual as Darwin proposed or the survival of the species,  as some more modern theorists propose,  this is the fundamental principle:  life operates to continue life.

 In animals,  evolutionary processes operate directly on neural pathways that control behavior patterns.   These patterns are termed "instincts" or "instinctual behaviors"  And this is a prime focus of evolutionary process for influencing survival in ambulatory creatures (in addition to other areas of operation). 

In higher animals,  these instincts can be modified to some extent through learning.
In the course of evolution,  the human brain has expanded the cortical regions and learning process to such an extent that the inhibitory controls of cortex effectively nullify instinctual control of most of human behavior.  ( I know there are a number of pop culture writers who point to violence and war as signs that humans are still instinctual,  and I would be happy to refute those views.)  Therefore:  evolutionary processes can no longer act directly on instinctual behavior patterns to ensure human survival!

Humans must therefore perceptually discern which human patterns of action are more likely to result in survival for the individual or the group. 

The state of open immediate awareness and contemplation which is often called a "spiritual state" or "spirituality" is none other than the state in which the human organism attempts to discern the path of best survival free of preconditioning.  (It must be free of preconditioning to some extent because the path of survival is always changing!) 

All persons have this ability,  but from time to time specific humans arise who are observed by their peers to be especially skilled or gifted in this perception.  Sometimes they arise in periods of crisis,  other times not.  They are hailed as "religious leaders"  or "prophets"  and their observations are observed,  recorded,  and transmitted in their society for guidance.

This wisdom becomes codified into morality by organized followers who create a  "religion" and observed by the followers of this prophet until such time as the wisdom is less applicable and a new prophet arises to challenge old views and develop a new spiritual path to survival.

Morality is the codified current version of the accepted spiritual path of a given human group.

Morality is attached to religion by virtue of how it is created,  and by how a group of followers form who embody the guidance.

Can there be a "scientific morality"?  ie can there be a path for survival which is determined by scientific analysis of previous life situations?   No.  Recall the warning in all Mutual fund promotions:  "previous results are no guarantee of future performance".   Since evolution is statistical,  it is impossible to scientifically guarantee that a certain path is the best for evolutionary survival.  But that does not stop people from doing research.