Would you describe a dog as capable of being evil? Or a cat? Or a chimpanzee? Most likely you couldn't. We human beings belong to the taxonomic kingdom of Animalia and are therefore animals. Our species evolved from animals that looked and behaved more like modern chimpanzees than we do. So at what point did we go from being instinctive creatures to developing the concept of morality? Much literature has been written about morality, examples of which can be found in fiction and nonfiction, as well as in scientific, theological, and philosophical fields. Specific examples include the Bible, as well as the writings of Plato (c. 424-348 BC), Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), and John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Morality is a trait that develops as a result of practical material situations and experiences, as exemplified in The Grapes of Wrath, disputed by St. Matthew, but reinforced in Plato's writings; we humans are born morally neutral. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck tells the story of the Joad family as they travel from Oklahoma to California. The story contains some very realistic examples of people learning lessons about morality, whether they realize it or not, as well as the values ​​of being moral. Steinbeck writes: Families learned what rights must be respected: the right to privacy in the tent; the right to keep the black past hidden in the heart; the right to speak and listen; the right to refuse help or to accept, offer or refuse it; the right of the son to be courted and of the daughter to be courted; the right of the hungry to be fed; the rights of pregnant women and the sick transcend all other rights (Steinbeck 194). He wrote that families learned about these rights, meaning that at some point they didn't know. morality as a result of practical material situations and experiences as described in The Grapes of Wrath and confirmed by Plato's ideas. We humans evolved from creatures of pure instinct to something that craved a sense of order; the concept of morality is probably a byproduct of this. Ultimately, we are more likely to be born morally neutral with respect to good or evil. We are born instinctive creatures, but we have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. This is entirely due to cultural education, but also to experience and practical material situations. Works Cited Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. A world of ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. 9th e. Boston: Bedford, 2013. Print.Steinbeck, John. The grapes of wrath. New York: Viking, 1939. Print.St. Matthew. “The Sermon on the Mount”. A world of ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. 9th e. Boston: Bedford, 2013. Print.