This was the second philosophy class I'd ever taken and as a result, it was definitely the most time consuming class in my schedule. Despite it being an upper div, around half the class didn't have experience with philosophy and didn't know how to write a philosophy paper. My TA was Dan Ranweiler and he was extremely helpful in learning how to write the papers, but without him I likely would've been lost. Johnson is a passionate professor but often goes on tangents during class and isn't very good at clarifying the material or philosopher's thoughts. Moreover, the material is interesting but I would advise anyone signing up for the class to make sure they are in a good state of mind if they decide to take it. Learning about evil for 10 weeks can be mentally exhausting and I often found myself feeling a bit depressed throughout the duration of the class. Johnson also has a clear affinity for Nietzsche so he would oftentimes try to push his ideas, even in the weeks where we weren't reading him. Overall, this class definitely improved my critical thinking skills and I have come out of it retaining some optimism (I don't believe human nature is cruel) but it's a lot of work and the reading can be very emotionally heavy so I would advise anyone to proceed with caution.

Professor Johnson grades strictly, but his comments are helpful if you are looking to improve your writing. He doesn’t mind if you walk in late. For his papers, you need to know two philosophers covered in the first half of the quarter, and at least one covered in the second half. He is down to earth, and accepts late submissions. His lectures are fairly entertaining, but he can go on tangents if students repeatedly raise their hands to comment.