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Most evolutionary biologists feel that morality was naturally selected for, because it allowed for what Darwin terms “group selection”, which is the ability of a group to work together to get a selective advantage over another group.  In this sense, morality increased the ability of a group to work together in order, making every individual in that group more fit.  A similar theory called the reciprocal altruism theory argues that natural selection selected for individuals who helped others some of the time and received help some of the time.  This is opposed to those who never help anyone, and therefore, never get help, and those who always help others, and therefore, never help themselves. 

While both theories seem reasonable from a biological evolutionary account, our experiences with morality seem much deeper rooted than the theories suggest.  In “Howard’s End” we see how morality plays a roles in individual’s daily lives.  From pressing moral issues such as Mr. Wilcox withholding Mrs. Wilcox’s letter from Margaret, to small constant issues the Schlegel’s poor treatment of Leonard, morality seems to drive the novel.  While morality may have evolved, because it gave its beholders a selective advantage, in the modern world it plays such a grand role.  Almost all decisions have a least some moral basis, or can be looked from a moral perspective.  The organizations religion, government, and law originate from morality.  In, fact our entire culture seems to have originated from morality.  There is so much morality influences, that it makes believing the simple explanations of its origin almost impossible.  In the very least, if morality did come about through natural selection, it just goes to show how one small thing (morality), can make such a massive impact.  

Here’s my question: Can you imagine the human species, or a species as intelligent as us without morality?  What would it look like?  And, could the species survive?  My answers are in short: not really, absolutely chaotic, and probably not.  Therefore, I think that morality may just be linked to superior intelligence.  It seems from research on other species, that the more intelligent they are, the more altruistically they act.  This leads one to believe that the two are genetically linked.