Final post on morality?

Steve, you are contradicting yourself. You imply (above) that, unlike gravity, morality can not be "shown to exist independently of human opinion," yet in a prior post, you raise the "issue of the presence of moral behavior in other species," and that there is "clear evidence of such behavior in complex animals such as apes, cetaceans and elephants."

This isn't a contradiction.

Gravity is a universal law. It is the same, as far as we can tell, everywhere in the universe.

Morality isn't. We see aspects of what we would recognise as shared morality in other animals, but nothing universal. For example, it is usual for male lions, when they take over control of a pride, to kill the offspring of the previous male in charge. That is their morality. It is not ours.

Our morality has evolved because of the way we used to live - as small wandering bands of apes. Our opinion of morality is based on that.

Well, to paraphrase something you said, "Claiming that morality evolved doesn't make it so. It have to be shown to be."

It has been shown to be. By studies of other animals, and by evolutionary theory.

I'm sure you are aware there are scientists who share your view on evolution, but strongly disagree with you on the notion of "evolved morality."

Yes, indeed,

(And by the way, I would take your statement one step further and say I don't know how a species like ours would have survived at all without it!")

Well, other species survive well without our form of morality (such as lions).

(By the way, I visited Brian's site (he made a comment). Sharp guy, as are some of his commentators.

Yes, he is and they are!