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I don't think it's morality per se that is innate but rather more fundamental values and feelings. Rational analysis operates upon that to, e.g., combine innate senses of fairness and empathy into the Golden Rule. These invented rules are then ingrained as culture. The combined effect is what we call morality.

I agree, but with one additional point. Beside having a definition of rational thought, actions that we would describe as moral (i.e. altruism and non-violence) exist in surprisingly simple animals. I think codes of conduct are more innate than we would like to think. The simple ones like inflicting pain/murder are easily innate as it's exhibited in almost every species (Yeah, it can break down between societies of the same species [i.e. lions kill young of other groups, termites fight for territory] but that happens in humans too - not terribly surprising it breaks at that scale). The more complex ones like stealing (The concept of possessions isn't very well defined in other social species anyway...) probably require more rational thought like you describe - empathy, fairness, weighing social consequences.

I feel there's still a dimension missing. These behaviors that we and other animals exhibit like reciprocal altruism can't really be called moral in themselves. It's the feeling that we ought to do them that makes them moral. And that I think is essentially related to culture which humans have a heck of a lot more innate ability for than the others.

I recall reading that chimps and other apes will, just like people, go to console another in distress. But I wonder if any researcher has tried to see if a chimp unable to give comfort will urge a third chimp to do it.

actions that we would describe as moral (i.e. altruism and non-violence) exist in surprisingly simple animals. I think codes of conduct are more innate than we would like to think. The simple ones like inflicting pain/murder are easily innate as it's exhibited in almost every species (Yeah, it can break down between societies of the same species [i.e. lions kill young of other groups, termites fight for territory] but that happens in humans too - not terribly surprising it breaks at that scale.

Perhaps the cat should be charged with murder for murdering the mouse.

Cordially,