Thomas D. Carroll

@thomasdcarroll.bsky.social

360 followers 250 following 260 posts

Teaching Associate Professor in Philosophy & Religious Studies at CUHK-Shenzhen

I write on Wittgenstein, philosophy of religion, and comparative ethics. Sometimes, I post here about these things and music I like.

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Philosophy 34%

History 17%

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Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Jul 30

My book, Rethinking Philosophy of Religion with Wittgenstein, arrived today.
I'm grateful to Bloomsbury (‪@bloomsburyacad.bsky.social‬) for publishing it & to J. Aaron Simmons and Kevin Schilbrack for including it in the Expanding Philosophy of Religion series.

www.bloomsbury.com/us/rethinkin...

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 3d

I'm at the Chinese Wittgenstein Society's conference in Hangzhou.

Heard many great papers today & got to meet scholars whose work I know. Was great to meet up with my former dissertation director, Juliet Floyd. Even got to road-test a new project I'm working on. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Sign at Zhejiang University for the School of Philosophy (and History and Literature)

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 6d

Looking forward to the Seventh International Wittgenstein Symposium at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou this weekend.

I'll be giving a short paper: "AI, Ethics, and Forms of Life."

Cover for conference program for the Wittgenstein symposium in Hangzhou.

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 16d

And here's a short clip of Ken Vandermark Edition Redux --

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 16d

Here's a short clip of Satoko Fujii and Joe Fonda

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 16d

I went to the Jazz Festival at OCT-Loft in Shenzhen yesterday. Got to see two amazing groups: Joe Fonda and Satoko Fujii & Ken Vandermark Edition Redux

After a showing of the Ken Vandermark documentary "Musician" (2007 -- by Daniel Kraus), Vandermark came forward for some Q&A.

Joe Fonda and Satoko Fugii performing at the OCT-Loft Jazz fest

The Ken Vandermark Edition Redux performing at the OCT-Loft Jazz fest

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff, Thomas D. Carroll

Nigel Warburton @nigelwarburton.bsky.social · 18d

Lewis Gordon on Frantz Fanon - our latest Philosophy Bites interview philosophybites.com/podcast/lewi...

Lewis Gordon on Frantz Fanon - Philosophy Bites

Frantz Fanon, who was born in Martinique, died aged 36. He nevertheless made very significant contributions to the discussion of racism and colonialism, influenced strongly by the existentialist tradi...

philosophybites.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

Sean Walters @seanwrite.bsky.social · 20d

Late jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal enjoyed playing ballads believing it took years of lived experience to truly master them. Jamal’s popular 1958 version of the Gershwin tune “But Not for Me” from the Live at the Pershing Lounge album. #Jazz #JazzMusic m.youtube.com/watch?v=jsC2...

But Not For Me (Live At The Pershing Lounge/1958)

YouTube video by Ahmad Jamal - Topic

m.youtube.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 20d

You know what rules? Wayne Shorter’s solo on “The Chess Players” youtu.be/fI0S6ioserI?...

The Chess Players (Remastered 2005)

YouTube video by Art Blakey - Topic

youtu.be

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 20d

Oh yeah, same in Shenzhen. I’m from the SF Bay Area, so this temperature is great

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · 26d

youtu.be/T3CunfPYkME?...

D'Angelo and The Vanguard - The Charade (Audio)

YouTube video by DAngeloVEVO

youtu.be

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

Heather Knight @heatherknightsf.bsky.social · 29d

“This city is a complicated place, but I’ve found two truths: The Golden Age is a myth and San Francisco is never “over.””

Great read from @peterhartlaub.bsky.social, San Francisco’s historian/hype-man extraordinaire.

www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/m...

Marc Benioff wants troops in S.F.? There’s a path back to sanity, and it’s close to home

Marc Benioff called for the National Guard in S.F. The city doesn’t need the military on its streets. It needs the Salesforce founder to follow his grandfather’s example, Peter Hartlaub...

www.sfchronicle.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

The Little Red Podcast @littleredpodcast.bsky.social · Oct 8

In the latest episode in our series on belief, we’re exploring the surprising revival of shamanism in China, which has made a comeback despite Mao's best efforts at eradication. Ritual healers and spirit mediums are tapping into online believers and a public thirst for authentic spirituality. (1/3)

Reposted by Robert W. Wallace, Steven French, Daniel S. Goldberg , and 2 more Robert W. Wallace, Steven French, Daniel S. Goldberg, Thomas D. Carroll, Elisa Freschi

Digressionsimpressions @nescio13.bsky.social · Sep 30

"Helen de Cruz (1978–2025): an academic and personal tribute" *Religious Studies* Published online 2025:1-4.
doi.org/10.1017/S003...
@helendecruz.net

Helen de Cruz (1978–2025): an academic and personal tribute | Religious Studies | Cambridge Core

Helen de Cruz (1978–2025): an academic and personal tribute

doi.org

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Sep 24

Typhoon Ragasa is bringing some intense rain and wind to Shenzhen. Not clear when the rain will end, if ever...

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Sep 12

I have a new open access article out today in AGATHEOS: European Journal for Philosophy of Religion -- "Wittgenstein, Religious Diversity, and Communicative Reticence"

publicera.kb.se/aejpr/articl...

Wittgenstein, Religious Diversity, and Communicative Reticence | AGATHEOS – European Journal for Philosophy of Religion

publicera.kb.se

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Sep 11

Here's a view of the CUHK-Shenzhen campus right after sunset (and after several days of intense rain brought by a tropical storm)

View of the lower campus of CUHK-Shenzhen just after sunset

another view of the campus of CUHK-Shenzhen just after sunset

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Sep 4

Makes me miss Boston!

Reposted by Robert W. Wallace, Thomas D. Carroll

Justin Weinberg @dailynous.com · Sep 2

Officials deport a student from China who had a full scholarship to study philosophy at the University of Houston, 36 hours after he lands in Texas.

Philosophy Grad Student from China Deported upon Arrival in US - Daily Nous

A 22-year-old student from China who had traveled from China to Texas to study philosophy at the University of Houston was detained upon arrival in the state, questioned, and deported back to China 36...

dailynous.com

Reposted by Lesley Bartlett, Thomas D. Carroll

The New Yorker @newyorker.com · Aug 31

“Let’s begin by saying that we are living through a very dangerous time.” So opens “A Talk to Teachers,” which James Baldwin delivered to a group of educators in October, 1963.

James Baldwin’s Lesson for Teachers in a Time of Turmoil

Rigorous lessons are not mutually exclusive from culturally and politically relevant ones.

www.newyorker.com

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Aug 27

Very curious about this new translation...

www.wiley.com/en-us/On+Cer...

On Certainty: The New Translation

The German text, with a facing English translation by P. M. S. Hacker Ludwig Wittgenstein's On Certainty collects the final notes of one of the twentieth century’s most ...

www.wiley.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

Alexander Boyd @alexludoboyd.bsky.social · Aug 21

Jen Lin-Liu thinks we're going about Chinese cookbooks all wrong... read this tour de force essay on everyone's favorite China book: their cookbook.

chinabooksreview.com/2025/08/21/c...

The Trouble with Chinese Cookbooks | China Books Review

Despite the difficulty of translating Chinese cuisine for Western readers, Chinese cookbooks continue to sell. But just as their form has changed over the decades, so too has their mission.

chinabooksreview.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

Nathan Eric Dickman @nericdickman.bsky.social · Aug 20

www.bloomsbury.com/us/engaging-...

Engaging Philosophies of Religion

How can philosophy of religion become more diverse in content and method? How can we take a multiplicity of stories into account and teach a truly inclusive phi…

www.bloomsbury.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

David Newheiser @dnewheiser.bsky.social · Aug 20

This beautiful book is now out! It's freely available as an open-access ebook (thanks to funding from @templetonrelig.bsky.social):

www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?do...

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Aug 20

On the sensitivity of "magic," "supernatural," & "tradition":

'The ghosts became illusions created by feng shui. It’s a commonly used trick, where the blatantly supernatural is thinly disguised as an element of “traditional Chinese medicine” or qigong, both of which have official approval.'

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · Aug 20

wrote an explainer of how the sausage gets made when it comes to censorship in China, partially to serve as a useful comparative study for America

foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/19/c...

A Guide to Censorship in China

Strange processes determine what does—or doesn’t—get published.

foreignpolicy.com

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

Cha: An Asian Literary Journal @asiancha.bsky.social · Aug 12

The editors of The Shanghai Literary Review, a distinguished print & digital magazine founded in 2016, have made an alarming announcement, stating: "We’re writing today with an important and difficult update." Why the delay? What happened?

👉 Statement: shanghailiterary.substack.com/p/issue-9-up...

Reposted by Thomas D. Carroll

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · Aug 20

wrote an explainer of how the sausage gets made when it comes to censorship in China, partially to serve as a useful comparative study for America

foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/19/c...

A Guide to Censorship in China

Strange processes determine what does—or doesn’t—get published.

foreignpolicy.com

Thomas D. Carroll @thomasdcarroll.bsky.social · Aug 20

The NMAAHC is an incredible museum. Here are a few photos from a visit to the museum a couple of years ago.

And here's a link to the change.org petition to defend it:
chng.it/ypcqxPNdjq