David W. Johnson

David W. Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Department at Boston College, specializing in contemporary Japanese philosophy, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy. He holds a B.A. from Emory University and a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University. His research integrates East Asian philosophical traditions with Western continental philosophy, particularly focusing on thinkers like Watsuji Tetsurō, Nishida Kitarō, and Kimura Bin. He has held visiting researcher positions at universities in Germany, Japan, and Spain.

Education:

• B.A., Emory University
• Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University

Research interests include:

• Phenomenology of the self
• Comparative studies of East Asian and Western philosophy
• Hermeneutics
• Environmental ethics through Watsuji’s concept of fūdo (geo-cultural climate)

Key publications include Watsuji on Nature: Japanese Philosophy in the Wake of Heidegger (2019) and articles exploring intersubjectivity, no-self doctrines, and cross-cultural ontology. His work bridges philosophical traditions to address questions of self, nature, and ethical life.

Teaching focuses on graduate seminars in phenomenology, comparative philosophy, and undergraduate courses in Asian philosophy and Western cultural history.