I think this is how morality might have “evolved”. Those things that benefitted humankind were seen as ‘moral’ and those than hurt mankind were ‘immoral’.
As I said, our nature is immoral. Fighting that basic nature is what brings civilization. Civilized in moral terms. Civilization in technological/physical terms is exactly as how you described.
I think Man has a dual nature: the same creature that is capable of great cruelty is also capable of great mercy. Hitler was the author of unimaginable horrors. Yet he passed laws making it a crime to abuse a dog.
You’re right insofar as you define civilization as the triumph of our better natures over our lesser. The irony is that we must periodically revert to the latter to defend the fruits of the former. So we can never truly be free of our inner brute. That is the burden we carry as mere humans, who can only dream of being gods.
Unless you’re Barack Obama ...