HIST 062. History of Reading: From Papyrus to Generative AI

In this course, we will study the technological and cultural history of the act of reading, tracing the changing meanings of and practice of reading. Topics discussed will include the origins of reading, the impact of the printing press, the rise of reading in mass culture and the spread of literacy, and arguments about the moral and political character of reading. We will spend the last quarter of the course discussing and debating the impact of generative AI on reading and education.
Concentrations: Capitalism; Culture and Identity; Method/Theory.
Social sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for Method/Theory. Concentrations: Capitalism; Culture and Identity
Spring 2027. Burke.
Catalog chapter: History
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/history

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