在西方长期的历史发展进程中,道德规范是以宗教神学作为理论基础的。尤其是在英国19世纪这个偏重理性的年代里,许多人都认为,宗教与道德是一体的,没有宗教也就无法谈论道德。然而,乔治·艾略特却认为,道德感是与生俱来的,是人天生能够正确分辨是非善恶的能力。道德是一种人类情感的反应,道德行为在本质上是情感的,而不是理性的。 In the long history of the West, ethics is based on religious theology. Especially in the more rationalist era of the 19th century in Britain, many people think that religion and morality are one and that there can be no morality without religion. However, George Eliot argues that moral feeling is inherent and is the ability of human beings to be able to correctly distinguish between non-good and evil. Morality is a response to human emotions. Moral behavior is emotional rather than rational in nature.