David Alan Johnson

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David A. Johnson (born 1952) is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Yeshiva University and has previously taught at UCLA and Syracuse University. Raised in Nebraska, he earned his BA from the University of Nebraska, where he studied under Robert Audi, and his PhD from Princeton University. His areas of concentration are Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics, and Epistemology. His brother, Edward, is Professor of Philosophy at University of New Orleans.

In his first book, Hume, Holism, and Miracles, Johnson purports to have refuted David Hume's popular argument for the irrationality of belief in testimony of miracles (as can be found in his essay entitled "Of Miracles") as well as several reconstructions of Hume's argument (most notably that of Bayesian philosopher Jordan Howard Sobel). Subsequently, Robert Fogelin (of Dartmouth College) responded to Johnson's critique of Hume in his book A Defense of Hume on Miracles. Johnson expects to refute Fogelin in a soon to be published book.

Johnson's second book, Truth Without Paradox, consists mostly of Johnson's resolution of many alleged paradoxes, such as the Liar Paradox. Towards the end of the book, Johnson presents his version of the Ontological argument for the existence of God. He also gives an historical argument for the validity of the Bible. He is currently working on an analytical assessment of the Theory of Evolution.

[edit] References

  • Johnson, D. (1999). Hume, Holism, and Miracles. Cornell University Press, Ithaca.
  • Johnson, D. (2004). Truth Without Paradox. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.