Questions · Ultimacy & Structural Comparison
If a philosophy ultimately still needs a “person who correctly knows the truth,” has it truly eliminated the subject?
Direct answer
Not necessarily. A system can negate the ordinary self in language, yet still retain, at its end point, a cognitive position that must correctly see, attain, or be aware of the fundamental. The cognitive-mediation deletion test is precisely to temporarily withdraw this position, and then see whether the fundamental and the overall structure still stand. One of Sheng's important advances is to put seeing, knowing, and awareness themselves back into the happening, without requiring a final knower who permanently stands outside the happening.
Page purpose
This is a structural-comparison entry point, not a ranking of philosophies; the page should connect Self-release, observer, being, becoming, the cognitive-mediation deletion test, the Final Remainder Test, and the related 1:1 comparison pages.
Core concepts
Primary sources
Conclusions that must not be drawn
One cannot, on the strength of this test alone, declare a philosophy “lower” or “not ultimate,” or declare Zai-Sheng Thought “first in history.” Comparison conclusions must be grounded in textual evidence from both sides.