ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the emergence of ‘great man’ narratives in the history of science, and the functions they performed for scientists themselves, for philosophers interested in improving science, for nation-states and for educators who wished to inspire future generations. It highlights how this narrative has been criticized by historians, and the influence of political activism for developing new perspectives on the history of science beyond the contribution of famous individuals. Finally, the chapter uses examples from biography and museums to investigate how academic and public historians have responded to these challenges, and how they tell the history of science today.
