Abstract
The educational science is replete with references, in diverse contexts, to the “great names” and “great figures” of the discipline, and the works of these luminaries are often dubbed “classics.” These individuals and their writings are an important part of the educational curriculum. They are assigned special significance for having achieved a certain measure of universal validity; their concepts are highly regarded as particularly instructive and inspiring. This entry examines the function of these “classics.” It argues that the quest for heroes is not merely characteristic of a particular historical epoch and not just focused on “great figures” and their ideas but part of the educational discourse.
Horlacher, Rebekka