Tominaga Nakamoto

Who was Tominaga Nakamoto?

Tominaga Nakamoto was a Japanese philosopher. He was educated in the Kaitokudo school, which was formed by mercantile class of Osaka, but ostracised shortly after the age of 15. Tominaga belong to Japanese rationalist school of thought and advocated Japanese variation of atheism, Mukishinron. He was also a merchant in Osaka.

He took a deep critical stance against normative systems of thought, partially based on the Kaitokudo's emphasis on objectivity, but clearly heterodox in eschewing the dominant philosophies of the institution. He was critical of Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism. Whereas each of these traditions drew on history as a source of authority, Tominaga saw appeals to history as a pseudo-justification for innovations that try to outdo other sects vying for power. For example, he cited the various Confucian Masters who saw human nature as partially good, neither good nor bad, all good, and inherently bad; analysing later interpreters who tried to incorporate and reconcile all Masters. He criticised Shintoism as obscurantist, especially in its habit of secret instruction. As he always said, "hiding is the beginning of lying and stealing".