Professor Profile

Who Says There Are No Miracles? Nebraska Theist Philosophizes At YU

"Let us not have a Balkanization of this classroom."

Talking in class usually elicits this response from Dr. David Johnson, a professor who delights in provoking philosophical discourse with his students. "Philosophy is about all of us focusing together on the problem at hand." While Dr. Johnson is correct regarding this point, it is remarkably difficult to refrain from speaking with other students during one of Dr. Johnson's lectures. It is hard not to share one's thoughts with another classmate when the issues under discussion are of such eminent importance. It is equally difficult to remain silent when Dr. Johnson meanders into class, usually clutching a cup of hot coffee and with unabashed candor poses one of the following questions to his complacent students: How exactly does Divine Foreknowledge interfere with free will? Why is the pervasiveness of evil a theological problem? Can you find fault with my ontological proof for the existence of G-d? How do you know that all green things are green? Go ahead. Try and remain silent.

If Dr. Johnson, professor of philosophy at Yeshiva University, won't get you speaking, at the very least he will get you thinking -- and if you're not careful you might find yourself brooding pensively over the issues that he raises. That, in fact, is what Dr. Johnson can be seen doing every early afternoon in front of Furst Hall. Invariably dressed in black and delicately cradling his exquisite Honduran cigarettes, Dr. Johnson passes the time until the start of his afternoon classes casually brooding over philosophical conundrums. More often than not he can be seen patiently speaking to a student about a paper or a variety of philosophical issues. He is an extremely approachable professor and is profoundly generous with his time. He is willing to speak to students about class over the phone late into the night and has a penchant for giving students an ample response to in-class queries. In truth, he is one of Yeshiva University's best kept secrets.

An up-and-coming professor in Yeshiva University, Dr. Johnson’s popularity has grown in each of his four semesters teaching here. Since his first semester on campus his average class size has almost doubled and a greater variety of students have registered for his courses. This, indeed, is a strong testament to his worth, since there are only about a dozen students majoring in philosophy in the whole college. He is slowly developing an enthusiastic following as more students begin to take him for a second time.

Dr. Johnson grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska as an undergraduate. His early interests were in history and math. This course of study was to lead Dr. Johnson into the study of logic, which in turn spurred his interest in philosophy. One of the greatest influences on Dr. Johnson was his brother, Edward, who is currently the chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of New Orleans. Edward Johnson, who is exactly two years older than his brother, left a thick trail of books around the house for his younger brother to follow. The two would grow up sharing an extraordinary proclivity for philosophy, although they would later diverge in their philosophical leanings. Dr. Johnson strongly believes in G-d and is politically conservative, while his brother does not believe in G-d and is politically liberal.

At the University of Nebraska, Dr. Johnson went on to major in philosophy and studied under Professor Robert Audi, who is better known as the editor of The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. (Dr. Johnson can be found in that work as the author of the entry entitled "Grue-Paradox," a version of the problem of Induction.). After studying philosophy at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Johnson continued as a graduate student at Princeton University. There, Dr. Johnson worked on his dissertation under the guidance of Gilbert Harman and was strongly influenced by Saul Kripke, who Dr. Johnson commonly refers to as the greatest living philosopher. Since leaving Princeton, Dr. Johnson has taught at Ohio State, the University of Connecticut, Wesleyan, William and Mary, Syracuse University - where he taught with Peter van Inwagen, and UCLA, among others.

While Dr. Johnson has taught numerous students throughout his itinerant teaching career, he is quick to point out that his YU students have been among his best. Their theological and religious inclinations coupled with their ability and willingness to think abstractly (undoubtedly the result of years of Talmudic study) have made YU students prime candidates for Dr. Johnson's teaching style. He enjoys teaching at here and his long daily commute to campus is telling. Dr. Johnson resides in Tottenville, Staten Island, (or what he mockingly calls "Deathville!"). Since Dr. Johnson does not drive, he has to travel by public transportation to Manhattan and back. His commute is nearly three hours each way! However, while the commute is indeed long, it does have its benefits. It is reliable, and it grants Dr. Johnson sufficient time to reflect on the enigmatic and enticing world of philosophical arguments.

Dr. Johnson is somewhat unique as a philosophy professor. In a field stigmatized by rampant atheism, he is a theist; or in layman's terms, he believes in G-d. Dr. Johnson is a refreshing surprise and is a welcomed addition to the Yeshiva University Philosophy Department. He is passionate about philosophy and religion in way that is easily recognizable is class. When asked why he ultimately decided to enter a career in philosophy, he responded that it was not much of a choice and that "It infects you." But his passion for religious and philosophical issues is further evident in the way he spends his time. He spends a good part of the weekend reading and writing about age-old philosophical problems and his dedication has yielded important results. For example, Dr. Johnson has discovered a workable ontological proof for the existence of G-d. As sure as two plus two equals four, Dr. Johnson is able to logically demonstrate that G-d exists -given some chalk and twenty minutes of your time.

Dr. Johnson has also just completed writing a book which he has titled Hume, Holism and the Holy. In it, Dr. Johnson critiques David Hume - whom he has termed the greatest dead philosopher, for his views concerning belief in the occurrence of miracles. David Hume, and others who have attempted to articulate Hume's argument, held that there is no good reason to believe reports concerning the occurrence of miracles, and thus, no good reason to believe in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In contrast, Dr. Johnson, in his new book, demonstrates that Hume's argument is severely misguided. Dr. Johnson claims that "there is no good argument against the credibility of the miraculous, even if the miracle is based on solitary testimony." Thus we are justified in our religious beliefs.

Taking a philosophy course with Dr. Johnson is an enlightening introduction into the world of philosophical argumentation. Philosophy, according to Dr. Johnson, is the study of the logical validity and soundness of arguments. All arguments must first be evaluated using the rules of logic. Once deemed logically valid, the "truth value" of each premise must be assessed to determine the soundness of the argument. This exercise is repeated in class with the claims of both renowned philosophers and aspiring students.

Students are encouraged to offer arguments, and those claims are then examined by Dr. Johnson and his class. The give and take of classroom discussion is usually colored with outrageous and outlandish scenarios, which makes class all the more entertaining and enjoyable. But what makes Dr. Johnson's classes most enjoyable, is his overwhelming confidence in the rules of logic coupled with a sincere and humble pursuit of truth. "Many famous arguments are bad. You can count on two hands the philosophers who were careful." With great respect and enthusiasm, Dr. Johnson loves to expose bad arguments and to propose good ones. Notwithstanding what he says about David Hume and Saul Kripke, Dr. Johnson is undoubtedly one of the best.