I'm not sure I 100% agree that human beings could always reason the same way we do now. I mean our ideals on principles of justice, morality, and some of the more abstract stuff were really hazy for a long time. I mean things like the Hammurabi Code wouldn't fly now, but then it probably made sense. Steal bread? Well we will cut your hands off, so you can't steal anymore bread. Of course from that standpoint we could argue that they had nothing at their disposal to stop said person from stealing bread besides cutting off their hands. Would they have ever been concerned with why the person stole bread? I'm not sure, so it's a bit tough for me to think that thinking hasn't evolved over time.

I think for religion I would love to add morality to the list. I think that religions aren't inherently bad its the institutionalizing of them when things get murky. At their base though religion begins by teaching you to care for your fellow human being because a higher power tells you, but as time goes on you see this evolution of the understanding of those ideals. It moves from 'a higher power told you to' to 'all life is made by a higher power and thus all of it is precious in it's own right' I can even attest to it in my own life. I was raised catholic, and while I don't tend to consider myself catholic anymore it is thanks to a lot of those moral teachings that I learn to care for people the way I try to.

Interesting discussion though I will be keeping my eye on this one.