SMC One: The McLuhan Seminar in Creativity and Technology

St. Mike’s McLuhan Seminar is an exploration of the relationship between creativity and technology. Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), one of the most charismatic and wide-ranging thinkers of the 20th century, taught at St. Mike’s from 1946 until his death in 1980.

The Seminar is inspired by McLuhan’s innovative thinking. First-year students will explore how the humanities relate to other fields of thought in addressing the individual, social, and cultural experiences and effects of technological innovation.

University of St. Michael’s College professor Paolo Granata, an expert on McLuhan’s work, will teach the course.

  • What is the course?

    SMC155H1, the McLuhan Seminar in Creativity and Technology, is a half-course worth 0.5 credits. It will be offered in Winter 2023. The course consists of lectures, seminar discussions, and guest speakers. You will explore how creativity makes innovation possible and influences our individual and social responses to technological change.

  • What will I be reading?

    Some of the material you’ll be reading could include selections from:

    • Marshall McLuhan’s Laws of Media: The New Science and Take Today: The Executive as Dropout

    • Adam Grant’s Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, a book about recognizing good ideas, facing doubt, and choosing how and when to act

    • Walter Isaacson’s bestselling biography Steve Jobs

    • Ashlee Vance’s Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, a biography that explores the role of inventors and entrepreneurs in the global market

    • Timothy Ferriss’ Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

    • Silicon Valley (HBO TV series)

  • Why should I apply?

    The McLuhan Seminar introduces you to university-level studies on a small scale, with students who share your interest in creativity and technology. You will experiment with interdisciplinary and critical thinking, access path-breaking new research, and engage with some of the most popular, profitable, and recognized sources and sites of human connectivity today. As a member of the class you will inspire future generations, forge lifelong friendships, and help create exciting new ways for St. Michael’s to flourish as the centre of Catholic intellectual life at the University of Toronto.

Apply