"Morality, as has often been pointed out, is antecedent to religion-it even exists in a rudimentary form among animals"

Herbert Read's quote, "Morality, as has typically been pointed out, is antecedent to religion-it even exists in a fundamental kind among animals", recommends a profound and frequently disputed concept about the origin and nature of morality. The statement can be unpacked into a number of key insights:

1. ** Morality Predates Religion **: By stating that morality is "antecedent to religion", Read is mentioning that ethical principles and ethical habits exist individually of religious teachings. This challenges the typical belief that moral worths are specifically stemmed from spiritual teachings. Instead, Read argues that moral ideas emerge from humanity and social living, acting as a structure upon which religious ethical teachings can later be built.

2. ** Universal Morality **: Read indicates that morality is a universal human experience, not restricted to any specific culture, religious beliefs, or society. If morality existed before religious beliefs, it indicates that moral instincts and judgments are intrinsic to the human condition. This recommends that ethical habits is part of our evolutionary makeup, developed as a social requirement for communal living and cooperation.

3. ** Morality in Animals **: By declaring that morality "even exists in a fundamental type among animals", Read expands the scope of morality to the animal kingdom. This highlights the concept that certain moral habits, such as compassion, fairness, and cooperation, have been observed in animals, suggesting these behaviors have evolutionary benefits. Primates, elephants, and dolphins, for instance, show habits that could be considered moral, such as sharing resources or mourning a lost member of their group.

4. ** Evolutionary Perspective **: Read's declaration motivates an evolutionary viewpoint on morality, one where ethical behavior is viewed as an adaptive characteristic that promotes survival in social species. From this perspective, morality is an item of natural selection, making it possible for types to grow in complex social structures.

In sum, Herbert Read's quote welcomes reflection on the origins of ethical habits, triggering a reconceptualization of morality not as a by-product of religious guideline however as an intrinsic element of both human and animal societies, embedded in our evolutionary history.