Kato is a modern scholar of Chinese philosophy specializing in early Confucian thought, particularly the philosophical debate between Mencius and Xunzi on human nature. Their work engages closely with interpretive questions about Mencius's metaphors for xing (human nature) and the force of Xunzi's critiques of rival positions.
Analyzed the 'water-metaphor view' as a distinct interpretive framework for Mencius's account of human nature
Assessed the dialectical force of Xunzi's criticisms against specific readings of Mencius
Contributed to scholarship clarifying the Mencius–Xunzi debate on moral psychology