Morals are there to maintain the status quo.
Slavery came about because it served the society that practiced it. It had a survival value. When it was transported form Africa were it had been practiced for a long time, it lost it’s efficiency and was phased out.
“ Take snakes, for example. Though we are not born with a fear of them,”
I am surprised, that the author does not know that some of us still have a phobia of snakes, a sign hat we are born with it.
The same applies to xenophobia, we are born with it, because it had a survival value. It has nothing to do with morals. Morals and ethics are a learned behavior and they have to be adjusted to the requirements of the situation.
Since technology has a major influence on culture, we are in for big changes, specially when it comes to morals.
Bio-technology, like gene engineering will result in major changes when it comes to morals and ethics, to use them with maximum efficiency.
I am looking forward to change, so we don’t have to grow old and be dead anymore.