WHaLI 2020 | Pandemics and Power in World History & Literature

“Infectious disease,” historian William H. McNeill asserted, “which antedated the emergence of humankind will last as long as humanity itself, and will surely remain, as it has been hitherto, one of the fundamental parameters and determinants of human history.” The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic confirms McNeill’s assertion, while also reminding us that human understanding of pandemic disease is historically contingent. Ancient scholars argued that “plague” emanated naturally from the gods for mysterious reasons to test human will. Later scholars might also blame disease on human causes, whereby religious and ethnic minorities, the poor, or perceived enemies of society could be viewed to be spreading or perpetuating disease. Regardless of origin and cause, humanity’s encounter with disease has also been, and will continue to be, shaped by political, social, cultural and economic power. Given how important pandemics have been in world history, it is not surprising that we have a rich historical and literary heritage capturing how pandemics have affected peoples, communities, and the world.

The World History and Literature Initiative’s (WHaLI’s) three-day conference for secondary teachers focuses on these issues, using examples drawn from different historical times and areas of the world. The symposium also illuminates challenges students face in learning such content, explores ways teachers might meet those challenges, and provides participants with relevant resources that can be used in the classroom.