In this lecture course we will concentrate on the far-reaching cultural consequences of the so-called ‚first media revolution‘ in pre-modern England, initiated by the transition from a (late-)medieval scribal culture to an early-modern print culture. After an introduction to the central features of medieval manuscript cultures, the main focus will be on the cultural impact of this decisive change on pre-modern communication systems. Some of the questions we will deal with this semester are: What was the impact of the printing press and its products on early modern book culture in general, and on the literary system in particular? How were ways of thinking changed by new ways of using books? How did this media change affect various types of readers and reading processes? To what extent was the printing press praised and welcomed, and to what extent did it meet with disapproval, in particular on the part of the authorities (state and church) with their attempts at censoring and banning ‚undesirable‘ or ‚dangerous‘ books? We will finally discuss the structural features and typical steps of media changes (from invention to innovation on the basis of social institutionalization and the adoption of new media in society at large), leading us to the discussion of the question whether (and to what extent) this ‘first media/communications revolution’ can be compared to our present situation, the ‚digital revolution‘, in its effects on books and reading today.

Kurs im HIS-LSF