Rational Cognition Research Articles

Kant’s Reliance on Reason Rejects the Essence of Sympathy and Empathy in Any Moral Choice

Kant is noted to have pioneered the deontological position when he argued in defence of reason and duty in moral decision-making. Kant’s use of reason in moral decision-making has made him an ethical rationalist. As moral agents, our theories must be based on rational cognition. This can be said to have dominated Western philosophy since the time of Plato. During Plato’s time, the tradition believed that one must know the object and possess the cognitive principles of practical reason. This must be exercised by the will or rational capacity guided by the categorical imperative. It is only when this is accomplished that it can be said that an action is morally worthy or morally permissible. This paper argues that Kant’s reliance on reason rejects the essence of sympathy and empathy in any moral decision-making endeavour. To act justly there is the need to employ reason so that such action could be attractive as well.

Функция кантовской теоретической философии в рациональном объяснении богопознания В. Д. Кудрявцева-Платонова

The reception of Kantian ideas in Russian religious philosophy was predominantly negative, the reason for which was the German philosopher's skeptical position on the proofs of the existence of God and his advocacy of the impossibility of theology as a rigorous science. Against this background V. D. Kudryavtsev-Platonov took an ambiguous position with regard to Kant. On the one hand, the Russian philosopher criticizes a number of statements of Kant's theoretical philosophy with the aim of apologizing for theology as a science, and on the other hand, adopts a number of Kantian intuitions in his views on empirical and rational cognition. At the same time, the question of Kant's influence on Kudryavtsev-Platonov's concept of ideal cognition, which is essentially a rational explanation of theological cognition as apodictic knowledge of God, remains unattended in the history of philosophy. Was there such an influence, and if so, in what did it manifest itself? The study has shown that the positions of Kant and Kudryavtsev-Platonov regarding theology as apodictic knowledge of God are diametrically opposed. For the German philosopher, theology as knowledge by means of transcendental ideas alone is impossible, while at the same time ethicotheology based on the postulates of practical reason is allowed. Kudryavtsev-Platonov, for his part, endeavors to substantiate the apodictic validity of the cognition of God by justifying the objective significance of the idea of God, extending the scope of application of categories of understanding to supersensible objects, and postulating the reality of supersensible sensations. Nevertheless, a comparison of Kudryavtsev-Platonov 's concept of ideal cognition with the crucial intuitions of the Kantian epistemology shows that the Russian philosopher relies on modifications of the Kantian concepts of apriorism and empirical synthesis in his attempts to substantiate the possibility of rational cognition of God.

Factors influencing the effect of proxy health information seeking behavior: A grounded theory exploration

Extant research on proxy health information-seeking behavior (PHISB) mainly focuses on the process and influencing factors of behavior, as well as the characteristics, behavior patterns, and proxy-seeking intention of seekers. There is, however, a lack of discussion on the effect of PHISB. This study aims to construct a theoretical framework model of the factors that influence the effect of PHISB, and more specifically, the effect perceived by the proxy. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and procedural grounded theory were used to explore the factors influencing the proxy perceived effect of PHISB. Participants were 18 middle-aged individuals of different genders, occupations, and education levels in China. The interview texts were analyzed and coded according to procedural grounded theory, and four factors were found to influence the proxy perceived effect of PHISB in China: information quality, inherent cognition, rational cognition, and perceptual cognition. A theoretical framework model of these factors was constructed, which has certain reference values and significance for improving the effect of PHISB.

Does shrinkage have an impact on urban livability? An empirical analysis from Northeast China

Urban shrinkage has emerged as a global socioeconomic development issue, presenting new challenges for countries in advancing the construction of livable cities. To investigate whether urban shrinkage has an impact on urban livability (UL), along with its underlying mechanisms and transmission paths, this study employed comparative inductive analysis and took Northeast China as a case for theoretical discussion and empirical validation. The results indicated that: (1) Shrinkage did have an impact on UL, which was dominated by negative effects and supplemented by positive effects. Furthermore, it exhibited characteristics of phased and dimensional heterogeneity, with significant spatial differentiation. (2) The impact of shrinkage on UL was essentially a comprehensive result of the interplay between the positive and negative effects arising from changes in urban development capacity and per capita occupancy caused by shrinkage. This process involved both variable transmission paths and stock transmission paths, jointly explaining the positive and negative shrinkage effects. This study provides a new perspective on rational cognition for coping with shrinkage effects and their generative logic, as well as theoretical insights for other countries around the world to optimize UL in shrinkage scenarios.

Green Skepticism? How Do Chinese College Students Feel about Green Retrofitting of College Sports Stadiums?

This paper examined the factors influencing Chinese college students’ psychological perceptions of green retrofitting of college sports stadiums. It focused on the roles of green skepticism, future rational cognition, and future perceptual cognition. A total of 551 college students from five universities in Xi’an were tested. The results indicated that college students’ green skepticism, future rational cognition, future perceptual cognition, and psychological perceptions of green retrofitting of college sports stadiums were at a moderate level and that green skepticism had a significant and negative influence on college students’ psychological perceptions of green retrofitting of college sports stadiums. Green skepticism was a significant negative predictor of environmental values (β = −0.183, p < 0.001), natural empathy (β = −0.164, p < 0.001), and moral elevation (β = −0.187, p < 0.001). In addition, future rational cognition and future perceptual cognition served as parallel mediators in the college students’ psychological perceptions of green retrofitting of stadiums. It is notable that the mediating effect of future rational cognition was greater than that of future perceptual cognition. The findings indicate that resolving green skepticism and enhancing transparency and trust are crucial for enhancing college students’ psychological perceptions and the behavioral benefits of green retrofitting of college sports stadiums. Furthermore, the facilitating effect of future rational cognition and future perceptual cognition assists college students in making more rational and ethical decisions and in garnering broad support for environmental actions.

Artificial sociality in the light of old and new theoretical and methodological approaches

The article critically analyzes the problems of artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial sociality (AS) from several theoretical and methodological positions. First, it is shown that the concept of IS actualizes extra-subjective approaches to understanding social ontology and is comparable with a number of concepts developed in the history of sociology, in particular, with P. Sorokin’s “conductors” (“mediums”). In this respect, AI is similar to other cultural (“artificial”) phenomena. Second, in the perspective of the Slavophile concept of “integral knowledge”, the limited epistemological horizons of AI as “rational cognition” are scrutinized. Third, sociological interpretations of AI that do not provide clarity in understanding its agentic status in social interactions (“participant” or “mediator”) are subjected to revision. Fourth, it is argued that a sociologically correct formulation of the IS question should focus not on natural or artificial agents of sociality, but on forms of sociality as ways of implementing social order. Today’s social reality, so the author of this paper, has not led so far to destruction of old and emergence of fundamentally new forms of social interactions, which, in the situation of insufficient theoretical comprehension, renders IS issue a journalistically superficiality.

The evolution of artificial intelligence: problems and prospects of rational cognition

Objective: This article undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the constructivist paradigm in artificial intelligence (AI) development, aiming to uncover how constructivist perspectives shape our understanding of AI. It delves into the evolution of AI thought, emphasizing the significance of constructivist epistemology in comprehending AI's philosophical and cognitive dimensions.
 Method: The study employs a variety of philosophical methodologies, including historical-philosophical analysis, comparative analysis of philosophical teachings, and a system-structural dialectical approach. These methods facilitate an in-depth examination of AI's conceptual intricacies within a constructivist framework, focusing on the relationship between artificial and natural intelligence and the epistemological implications of AI.
 Results: The investigation reveals that the main challenge in AI research is the absence of clear problem-solving rules, highlighting the current limitations of human self-knowledge in logical and emotional intelligence. It showcases AI's vast capabilities, from extensive knowledge bases to real-time processing, and emphasizes AI's role in enhancing human cognitive processes.
 Conclusions: Artificial intelligence, as a construct of human intellect, mirrors the capacity for design and creativity inherent in human thought. The study underscores AI's foundational role in the epistemology of science and technology, advocating for a holistic understanding of the human brain as a dynamic system to further our grasp of AI and its cognitive potential.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Bridge the gap caused by public health crises: medical humanization and communication skills build a psychological bond that satisfies patients

BackgroundPatient satisfaction is an important outcome domain of patient-centered care. Medical humanization follows the patient-centered principle and provides a more holistic view to treat patients. The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant barriers to maintaining medical humanization. However, empirical study on the relationship between medical humanization and patient satisfaction is clearly absent.ObjectivesWe examined the mediation effects of communication on the relationship between medical humanization and patient satisfaction when faced with a huge public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the moderation effect of medical institutional trust on the mediation models.MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was performed. A final sample size of 1445 patients was surveyed on medical humanization, communication, patient satisfaction and medical institutional trust.ResultsAll correlations were significantly positive across the main variables (r = 0.35–0.67, p < 0.001 for all) except for medical institutional trust, which was negatively correlated with the medical humanization (r=-0.14, p < 0.001). Moderated mediation analysis showed that the indirect effect of medical humanization on patient satisfaction through communication was significant (b = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.18 ~ 0.25). Medical institutional trust significantly moderated the effect of medical humanization on patient satisfaction (b=-0.09, p < 0.001) and the effect of medical humanization on communication (b= -0.14, p < 0.001).ConclusionMedical humanization positively influence patient satisfaction, communication mediated the association between medical humanization and patient satisfaction, and medical institutional trust negatively moderated the effects of medical humanization on patient satisfaction and communication. These findings suggest that humanistic communication contributes to patient satisfaction in the face of a huge public health crisis, and patients’ evaluation of satisfaction is also regulated by rational cognition.

A dynamics model for driving behavior based on coupling actuation of bounded rational cognition and diverse emotions

Precise comprehension about the impacts of drivers’ rational and perceptual characteristics on their behavioral decisions is crucial for the accurate prediction of driving behavior. In the previous research on driving behavior, drivers were regarded as homogeneous and absolutely rational individuals. To overcome this limitation, the coupling effects of bounded rational cognition and diverse emotions are considered, and a driving behavior model is proposed based on Dynamics Psychology. There are two parts in this research. In Study 1, the information entropy theory is applied to describe the vehicle cluster situation, and a method is established to quantify the cognitive uncertainty of the vehicle cluster situation for drivers in diverse emotions. In Study 2, with consideration of bounded rational and emotional cognition, the impacts of the vehicle cluster situation and drivers' features, which are their demands for the driving goals including safety, efficiency and comfort, emotional states, and cognitive characteristics, on driving behavior are uniformly expressed as the behavioral driving force, and a prediction model for driving behavior is proposed based on Dynamics Psychology. The results of validation based on the virtual driving data show the prediction accuracy of the proposed model for various driving behaviors of drivers in diverse emotions is over 80%. The results of verification based on NGSIM data suggest that the prediction accuracy of the proposed model for the natural driving behaviors is 82.07%. The research results can contribute to the study on the intrinsic mechanism of driving behavior and provide theoretical support for the development of traffic simulation, personalized active safety systems, human–machine interaction, and brain-inspired autonomous driving.

Films of the space horror genre, as an attempt to imagine a world–not–for–us.

The article deals with the problem of the world–in–itself being closed to our perception due to the inevitability of human subjectivity in the process of cognition of the world. In the philosophy of positivism and speculativism, the thesis of the fundamental unknowability of reality allows us to deduce an entire aspect of the world that is inaccessible to perception by analytical methods. This part of the world, by virtue of its fundamental concealment, resists all rational cognition, but, nevertheless, it can manifest itself in a special way that has more in common with mystical experience than with objective cognition. The purpose of the article is to offer a figurative language of the cinema texts of the cosmic horror genre as a way to think of the world–in–itself, otherwise inaccessible to cognition. The analysis is based on the example of two texts – "Through the Horizon" (dir. Paul W. S. Anderson, 1997) and "Hell" (directed by D. Boyle, 2007). A systematic film analysis was chosen as the research method. Screen works are analyzed from the point of view of how the subject of this research is revealed through the structural elements of film production. The main conclusions of the study are the theses that screen works in the horror genre, in particular space horror, can be used as a way to think about an aspect of the world that is inaccessible to knowledge by rational methods. This is possible due to the fact that the fundamental concealment of the world–not–for–us, on the one hand, makes it inaccessible to traditional analysis, and on the other hand, brings it closer to mystical experience. Films of the cosmic horror genre, and especially those that are the successors of the so–called Lovecraftian tradition, use characteristic frightening imagery to evoke in the viewer a feeling of the otherworldly, mystical, to create the same feeling of the creepy that occurs when the world-not–for–us manifests itself. But besides the images, the very structure of the film's narrative and its means of expression work to direct the viewer's thought towards understanding this strange world hidden from us.

«ПАРАДОКС ИНДОКТРИНАЦИИ» И ОПЫТ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКОЙ ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИИ ТЕКСТОВ Л. ВИТГЕНШТЕЙНА

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the discussion about indoctrination in the English-language philosophy of education, the author identifies main forms of involving the theoretical concepts of L. Wittgenstein’s philosophy into it. The theoretical basis of the study was the idea of the need to search for the foundations of pedagogical ideas and ideas in philosophical discourse. The author sees the pivot of today’s ongoing discussion in the “paradox of indoctrination” formulated by C. Macmillan, which points to the contradiction between the need for uncritical acquisition of the principles of rational cognition and the requirement to substantiate beliefs rationally. Macmillan’s argument, based on a reference to L. Wittgenstein’s texts, allows us to see how the language theory is adapted to solve a pedagogical problem. In his later texts, Wittgenstein insists on a special logical role of absolutely reliable judgments, which cannot be evaluated as true or false, and serve as the basis for subsequent participation in language games. Their initial acquisition is accomplished by training and carries all the formal signs of indoctrination. The author of the article draws attention to the inconsistency of the formulation of the paradox of indoctrination with Wittgenstein’s key point on the inapplicability of the practice of rational substantiation to absolutely reliable statements. It is also argued that the logical impossibility of substantiating basic statements of the language cannot be the basis for the legitimation of indoctrination in education. Attention is focused on the key point for the philosophical and pedagogical analysis of Wittgenstein's texts – the obligatory unification of initial language acquisition and logical later participation in language games in a single process of human education. In conclusion, the author defines the prospects for discussing the problem of indoctrination, pointing out the possibility of interpreting interaction with culturally significant objects as having the least educational potential.

The authentic experiences of tourists in Chinese traditional villages based on constructivism: a case study of Chengkan village

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of authenticity in tourists’ destination selection, analyze the factors that influence tourists to form their initial opinions and explore how tourists construct the authenticity of traditional villages. The authors selected Chengkan village in Huizhou district, Huangshan city, as a case. In the study, the authors constructed an attribute-hardware-software research framework and analyzed tourists’ authentic emic experiences from the perspective of constructivism. The findings of this study suggest that tourists’ destination selection is influenced by authenticity. The destination culture brokers who interact with tourists play an essential role in forming authentic experiences. According to differences in how tourists construct authenticity, the study divided tourists into three types: primitive imagination, aesthetic reality and rational cognition. The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of various viewpoints about authenticity research and contribute to the academic discussion on how to understand the authenticity of unique cultural heritage sites such as traditional villages in the context of tourism development.

Kant on Philosophy as Conceptual Analysis

For Kant, philosophical investigations are inherently analytic. The proper method of philosophy is analysis, and the object of analysis are concepts. Hence, Kant’s short description of philosophy as “rational cognition […] from concepts” (KrV, A 837/B 865) can be substituted by “philosophy is conceptual analysis”. The article shows that Kant follows a representationalism about concepts and a combination of intensional and extensional feature semantics. Against the claim that Kant is a proponent of the concept-judgement-inversion, it is argued that concepts are being articulated in form of singular terms, propositions, and sets of propositions alike. Kant interlinks different kinds of concepts with different kinds of definitions, as the reconstruction of his theory of definitions reveals. Philosophy foremost deals with what Kant calls “given” empirical and pure concepts. Such concepts are object of analysis, i.e., explication and exposition. The article ends with answers to five possible objections. Is philosophy all about analysis?

The Influencing Role of Cultural Values on Attitudes of the Chinese Public Towards Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the Control of COVID-19.

The use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for disease prevention and healthcare has been strongly supported by the Chinese government in recent years, but public perception of TCM remains controversial or resistant, especially in preventing and treating COVID-19. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors that influence public attitudes. By applying a measure of attitudes towards TCM in epidemic prevention, this study conducted a nationwide survey (n=1192) on the relationships between attitudes towards TCM for the control of COVID-19 and trust, perceptions of risk, scientific literacy, policy endorsement, and cultural values. The results of the study showed surprisingly that scientific literacy and risk perception did not dominate the Chinese public's attitudes towards TCM for the control of COVID-19. Meanwhile, egalitarianism, policy endorsement, trust in scientist and healthcare personnel played a positive role. Moreover, egalitarianism positively regulates the relationship between trust in scientist and attitudes towards TCM epidemic prevention and control, while collectivism negatively regulates the relationship of the preceding variables. All these findings suggest that attitudes towards the use of TCM are not based on rational cognition and logical reasoning, but are mainly influenced by emotional and cultural factors. This study will help researchers and practitioners understand the importance of cultural values, trust, policy endorsement, and attitudes towards TCM epidemic prevention and control to TCM's use in healthcare.

An Analysis of the Leg and Foot Morphology of Chairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Abstract This study analyzed the morphology of the legs and feet of chairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties using statistics, and the characteristics were presented in a data-based mode. With furniture samples collected from museums as the research object, the performances of chair legs and feet from different periods were analyzed using cross-analysis and chi-square tests in SPSS 22.0 to find out if statistically significant differences existed. The results show no statistical difference in the morphology of legs and feet of side chairs and armchairs with curved rest from different periods, while significant statistical differences exist in the morphology of the legs and feet of armchairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The results can help people to have a deeper understanding of the legs and feet of chairs from the Ming and Qing Dynasties on a rational cognition level and provide new ideas for the inheritance and innovation of such furniture in modern times.

Effect of Nanoscale in Situ Interface Welding on the Macroscale Thermal Conductivity of Insulating Epoxy Composites: A Multiscale Simulation Investigation.

Insulating thermally conductive polymer composites are in great demand in integrated-circuit packages, for efficient heat dissipation and to alleviative short-circuit risk. Herein, the continuous oriented hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) frameworks (o-BN@SiC) were prepared via self-assembly and in situ chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) interface welding. The insulating o-BN@SiC/epoxy (o-BN@SiC/EP) composites exhibited enhanced thermal conductivity benefited from the CVI-SiC-welded BN-BN interface. Further, multiscale simulation, combining first-principles calculation, Monte Carlo simulation, and finite-element simulation, was performed to quantitatively reveal the effect of the welded BN-BN interface on the heat transfer of o-BN@SiC/EP composites. Phonon transmission in solders and phonon-phonon coupling of filler-solder interfaces enhanced the interfacial heat transfer between adjacent h-BN microplatelets, and the interfacial thermal resistance of the dominant BN-BN interface was decreased to only 3.83 nK·m2/W from 400 nK·m2/W, plunging by over 99%. This highly weakened interfacial thermal resistance greatly improved the heat transfer along thermal pathways and resulted in a 26% thermal conductivity enhancement of o-BN@SiC/EP composites, compared with physically contacted oriented h-BN/EP composites, at 15 vol % h-BN. This systematic multiscale simulation broke through the barrier of revealing the heat transfer mechanism of polymer composites from the nanoscale to the macroscale, which provided rational cognition about the effect of the interfacial thermal resistance between fillers on the thermal conductivity of polymer composites.

Conceptual semantics of the adjective ленивый and stereotypical image of a lazy person (according to the National Corpus of the Russian Language)

The purpose of the article is to reconstruct the stereotypical image of a lazy person on the basis of a linguo-cognitive analysis of different contextual meanings of the adjective ленивый. Research objectives: to present a typology of contexts for the use of the adjective and the corresponding contextual meanings of the word ленивый, as well as to determine the parameters by which different contextual meanings of a polysemic word can be differentiated. The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the methodological guidelines of modern cognitive linguistics, which continues the study of verbalized concepts that demonstrate the relationship between language, human thinking and culture. After analyzing the nature of conceptualizations, we identified three subjects and took into account their cognitive activity: the first subject is an outside observer, and the perceptual meanings of the adjective lazy reflect the results of contemplative-sensory knowledge by native speakers of the appearance and behavior of a lazy person, the second subject is the subject-bearer of the state, in the contextual meanings of the adjective, the description and evaluation of the internal state experienced by him is conceptualized; the third subject is the subject of active rational cognition, its conclusions are conceptualized in the inferential meanings of the adjective ленивый. In accordance with the parameter the nature of conceptualization, we differentiated the contextual meanings of the adjective ленивый and proposed our own typology of contexts. The conducted linguocognitive analysis allows reconstructing a holistic stereotypical image of a lazy person. Our reconstruction is based both on the results of contemplative-sensory cognition and on the inferential conclusions of native speakers.

Exploring the relationship between mental health and dialect use among Chinese older adults: a moderated mediation estimation.

Mental health, conceptualized as psychological status that includes rational cognition, emotional stability, and interpersonal harmony, is highly relevant to the expected health and well-being of all humans. China is facing the dual risk of increased aging and mental health disorders in older adults, while the established studies have rarely focused on the influence of dialect on the mental health of Chinese older adults. The present study aims to capture the relationship between dialect and mental health in Chinese older adults. We use cross-sectional data from the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies, which encompasses the dialect use, mental health, and other socioeconomic features of 4,420 respondents. We construct a moderated mediation model that uses dialects and mental health as the independent and dependent variables and income inequality and subjective well-being as the mediator and moderator to reveal the relationship between dialect and mental health in Chinese older adults. (1) Dialects are shown to have a negative influence on the mental health of older adults in the current study (coefficient = -0.354, 95% CI = [-0.608, -0.097]). (2) Income inequality positively mediates the correlation between dialects and mental health (coefficient = 0.019, 95% CI = [0.010, 0.045]). (3) Subjective well-being negatively moderates the potential mechanism between dialects and mental health (coefficient = -0.126, 95% CI = [-0.284, -0.010]). The use of dialects is associated with worse mental health outcomes in Chinese older adults, while this negative influence is positively mediated by income inequality and negatively moderated by subjective well-being, simultaneously. This study contributes to the knowledge enrichment of government workers, older adults with mental disorders, medical staff, and other stakeholders.

Research on Habermas and Foucault's Social Diagnosis

Habermas and Foucault were both important thinkers in the middle and late 20th century. In the society at that time, they had a heated debate about rationality and irrationality. Habermas, based on the reconstruction of rationality, believed that rationality could be returned to a reasonable state through the communication of rational social paradigm, and the equal and harmonious communication between people could be realized in an environment without oppression, Not only in language, but also in action. Foucault, on the other hand, stood at the edge of rationality and believed that rational cognition in the traditional sense was limited and incomplete, and the real rational spirit had not been developed. Therefore, he focused his research on those groups that were not rational in our view, such as mental patients, prisons and prisoners, and pointed out that we should recognize the minimum of human truth, so that we can better understand human beings, truth and rationality. Therefore, this article will deepen the understanding of the ideological connotation of Habermas and Foucault through their attitude and analysis of rationality.

Two-stage three-way enhanced multi-criteria classification optimization for risk-averse product design programming

Product design is essential in the product lifecycle. In product design, decision errors from designers are ineluctable due to the lack of sufficient knowledge and experience on design parameters. However, the penalties (e.g., expected risk loss costs) of design decisions have been overlooked as always. The result is that being risk-averse naturally becomes a major issue to be advocated. Meanwhile, the preferences of designers, representing rational cognition of product design, are crucial in product design. In response to the above two critical issues, a two-stage three-way enhanced multi-criteria classification optimization for risk-averse product design programming is proposed. In the first stage, the three-way decisions (3WD) theory is introduced to handle the relation between the penalties and design decisions, and provide an uncertain decision representing an intermediate attitude of designers on design parameters. Additionally, designers are endowed to preferentially consider design parameters that are profitable for the success of product design. The purpose of the first stage is to formulate multiple alternative design schemes. In the second stage, under the framework of the ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité (ELECTRE) TRI, a multi-criteria classification optimization is constructed to cater to designers’ preferences. Subsequently, we can identify the optimal design scheme from these multiple alternative design schemes. The effectiveness and merits of the proposed approach are demonstrated with two illustrative examples and a substrate design case. As shown from the case studies, the proposed approach has a stable performance in terms of identifying the optimal design scheme in a stochastic environment.