Computer games have become an integral part of everyday life in the 21st century. But why are we so fascinated by “games,” and what are we actually doing when we play on a PC, console, or smartphone? This seminar seeks to explore these questions by tracing the cultural and media history of computer games, examining the specific logics of this medium, and discussing their use in societal contexts.

The relationship between rhetoric and science is complicated. Since its inception, rhetoric has been suspected of obscuring the facts that science elaborates. But how plausible is this juxtaposition? Doesn't science itself have to be rhetorical in order to be effective? Is rhetoric not itself technique, knowledge, and science? And does literature promise to resolve this opposition?