The Philosophical Connotation Of Soft Computing

As a new method of creating computational intelligent systems,the concept of soft computing was first proposed by Professor Lotfi A.Zadeh in 1992,who works in the University of California at Berkeley.Through combining fuzzy logic with intellectual technology,Prof.Zadeh and his students introduced this new concept.On the whole,soft computing is relative to traditional hard computing,which is totally based on pure mathematical reasoning.And the main purpose of hard computing is to obtain the exact solutions.However,soft computing corresponds to the human brain.This new type of computing mainly takes advantage of those inexact,uncertain and partly actual data in order to solve uncertain problems in our real life.Based on the systematic analysis of this completely new computing method,the paper expatiates its philosophical connotation from the aspects of rationality and irrationality,objectivity and subjectivity,monism and pluralism.The paper is composed of four chapters and a conclusion:Chapter One:"Historical Review of Soft Computing".This chapter retrospects the history of soft computing and clearly describes some recent changes in the field of computing and the historical background causing these changes.Firstly,we comb the historical background of the emerging of soft computing.It is pointed out that the transformation from hard science to soft science requires the emergence of soft computing and mathematics has lost its proper certainty.Secondly,through comparing soft computing with hard computing,we analyze the superiority of soft computing in the aspects of computing mode and practical application.Chapter Two:"Rationality and Irrationality of Soft Computing."Rationality is mainly established on the traditional pure mathematics reasoning,which aims at obtaining the exact solutions being the foundation of computing.Irrationality brings the factors of emotion,will,environment,etc.into the traditional pure mathematics reasoning.Why soft computing can obtain better development and application is that this new computing method takes the irrationality factors into consideration.Consequently,soft computing is the combination of rationality and irrationality.Chapter Three:"Objectivity and Subjectivity of Soft Computing".The chapter much more deeply analyzes and considers the philosophical connotation of soft computing from the angles of objectivity and subjectivity.Firstly,from the angle of objectivity,as a new mathematical optimization method,soft computing is established on the objectivity.Each computing method of soft computing is based on the objective facts and objective data,on which we can utilize computing models and then get optimization results.Secondly,from the angle of subjectivity,each computing method of soft computing contains subjective thinking,which assists soft computing not only in gaining the computing results but also in obtaining many key parts of computing model in the rough set,affective computing and cultural computing.The acquirement of these key parts is frequently on the basis of researchers' individual experiences and cultural orientations.In addition,subjectivity factors are indispensable in the real computing process.Therefore,soft computing is the combination of objectivity and subjectivity.Chapter Four:"Monism and Pluralism of Soft Computing".The chapter investigates the philosophical connotation of soft computing from the practical application angle.Prof.Zadeh,who proposes the concept of soft computing,points out the relationship of members in soft computing is not mutually competitive but mutually complementary.From the development of soft computing in recent years,the mutual fusion of members in soft computing based on the actual situation can better solve uncertain problems.Soft computing can choose monism computing method and also can choose pluralism methods.Therefore,soft computing is the combination of monism and pluralism.