The Digital Humanities and the Future of Close Reading

Algorithmic Analysis and the Hermeneutics of Large-Scale Textual Data

Abstract

This article examines the methodological shift from "close reading" to "distant reading" within the field of Digital Humanities. As computational tools allow scholars to analyze thousands of texts simultaneously, the traditional focus on the singular masterpiece is being challenged by macro-level patterns of language and genre. Drawing on Franco Moretti’s theories and contemporary data-driven literary criticism, the study explores the ethical and aesthetic implications of algorithmic interpretation. The research argues that rather than replacing human intuition, digital tools offer a "new lens" for understanding cultural evolution across centuries. This contribution to JLCS situates the humanities at the center of the ongoing dialogue between technology and traditional scholarship.