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This course proposes a study of the culture of algorithms for students of the literate space. True (deep) literacy is the ability to interpret a discursive object in its cultural, historical, conceptual, material or political contexts. With the evolution of digital cultures, literate practices have evolved to incorporate the emerging cultural paradigms born of the encounter of algorithms and computability with social practices embedded in the earlier literate traditions. Indeed, modern computational environments invite a new algorithmic hermeneutics grounded in both literate and technical traditions. Multiple modern novels, online games or mangas engage with the algorithmic, and these will form a counterpoint to the technical and philosophical texts. We will consider works such as: • Leibniz, De l’Horizon de la doctrine humaine • Norbert Wiener, God and Golem, Inc. • Alan Turing, "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" (chapter 11) • Steven Wolfram: Computation and the Future of the Human Condition • Leslie Valiant, Probably, Approximately Correct • Dominique Cardon, À Quoi rêvent les algorithmes? • G. J. Chaitin, “Life As Evolving Software” • Various novels by Neal Stephenson • Leonid Korogodski, Pink Noise, A Posthuman Tale • Alain Damasio, Les Furtifs • Assassin’s Creed, especially “Unity”