Leigh Johnson Assistant Professor CAS | Philosophy and Religion
- Degrees
- B.A., Philosophy, University of Memphis (2000)
M.A., Philosophy, Villanova University (2003)
PhD., Philosophy, with a Doctoral Minor in African and African-American Studies, The Pennsylvania State University (2007) - Bio
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Dr. Leigh M. Johnson is a moral and political philosopher whose teaching and research focus on the ethical challenges of democracy and emergent technologies—especially artificial intelligence. Trained in the Continental tradition with a strong foundation in the history of philosophy, she employs deconstructive methodologies to make sense of contemporary problems at the intersection of technology, identity, morality, and justice.
Her current research tackles the inadequacy of traditional philosophical concepts for confronting the “alignment problem” in AI ethics, the politics of memory in machine learning, and what she calls the “digital diaspora,” i.e., the scattering of both personal and collective identities across platforms through data traces. In both her research and teaching, Dr. Johnson highlights how emergent technologies reshape and redefine our moral frameworks, our social institutions, and our very ideas about what it means to be human.
Before joining American University, Dr. Johnson spent over two decades teaching in diverse and dynamic classrooms—first at Rhodes College (2007–2014), then at Christian Brothers University (2014–2024). Her courses are high-energy, interactive, and deeply engaged with students’ lived experiences. From multimedia projects to grading equity experiments, her pedagogy is rooted in accessibility, creativity, and a commitment to helping students imagine new futures. Rule #1 for all of her courses is: "Read more. Write more. Think more. Be more."
She is currently at work on a manuscript arguing that the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence technologies requires a reframing of our moral vocabulary, away from an anthropocentric model and toward a “posthuman” ethics, i.e., one capable of critically interrogating our assumptions about personhood, agency, and moral worth in the algorithmic age.
Outside of her traditional academic work, Dr. Johnson is the Executive Producer, Editor, and Co-Host of Hotel Bar Sessions, a weekly philosophy podcast that delivers “straight shots of wisdom” to general audiences in an irreverent, accessible style.
- Areas of Specialization
- Ethics
- Ethics in Government
- Gender and the Law
- Interests: international law, humanitarian law, human rights law.
- International Human Rights/Humanitarian Law
- Internet and Computer Law
- Law and Interpretation
- Separation of Powers
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues
- Social Networking and the Law
- Teaching Methods
- Technology Law
- Transitional Justice
- For the Media
- To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request. Explore all AU Faculty Experts in our media guide.
Teaching
Fall 2025
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PHIL-220 Moral Philosophy
Spring 2026
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PHIL-485 Selected Topics in Philosophy: Frontiers of AI Ethics