--- title: What Are the Great Books? Exploring Their Role in Classrooms Today description: Discover the importance of the Great Books, and what role they play in classical education today. image: https://blog.udallas.edu/hubfs/AdobeStock_890133074.jpeg --- ## What Are the Great Books? Exploring Their Role in Classrooms Today [ UD Admissions ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/author/ud-admissions) | January 28, 2026 --- Access to history’s greatest minds, front-row seats to the most contested, debated, and deliberated moral quandaries of humanity are encapsulated in the pages that line our bookshelves. These are the Great Books—timeless works that have profoundly shaped human thought for centuries.  A core component of [classical education](https://udallas.edu/academics/programs/classical-education/about-classical-education.php), these foundational texts offer a compelling framework for today’s classroom, providing a rich, immersive journey into the questions and ideas that define our humanity. By engaging with the Great Books, students learn from what Matt Arnold called "the best that has been thought or said."  *Curious about the differences between classical versus modern “progressive” education? *[*Learn more in our blog.*](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/classical-education-vs-modern-education-whats-the-difference) ## What Are the Great Books?  [The Great Books](https://udallas.edu/academics/core-curriculum/books.php) are a collection of works that have earned this title due to their lasting impact on human thought, society, and culture.  Spanning disciplines from history and poetry to politics and economics, these texts offer insights from thought leaders and ancestors, imparting knowledge that has stood the test of time and continues to resonate in today's world.  In these books, students immerse themselves in various stories and works that reflect our human experience through the lens of historical thought and philosophy. A defining element of a Great Book is its ability to raise enduring questions about life, including: - What does it mean to be human? - What is justice? - What is morality? - How should society be structured or governed? Moreover, these works serve as the cornerstone of Western culture and world civilization, contributing to a collective understanding that has influenced countless modern works.  ## A few examples of the Great Books include: | - *The Iliad* and *The Odyssey* by Homer - *The Divine Comedy* by Dante Alighieri - Dialogues by Plato including *Republic* and *Phaedo* - Works by Aristotle | - Confessions by Augustine  - Shakespeare's plays and sonnets including *Hamlet*, *Othello,* and *King Lear* - *Paradise Lost* by John Milton |   | | --- | --- | --- | ## What Role Do the Great Works Play in Classical Education Classrooms Today?  ### Give Context to Today’s Events and Culture By studying texts that have shaped generations, students gain insight into the development of our political and cultural systems and how they came to be. They come to better understand their place within the greater story, engaging with and examining the whole tradition, so they can more thoughtfully discern where they are going. ### Serve as Foundation for Learning The Great Works embody and reflect the ideas of Western Civilization. Exploring the universal themes and questions within these texts helps students establish a strong foundation for understanding subjects across disciplines, guiding them in the pursuit of truth. ### Promotes the Practice of Virtue  Incorporating the Great Books in classical education allows students to explore and debate moral ideas. By studying the timeless questions on human behavior, students are encouraged to think deeply and apply their wisdom to their own lives, ultimately growing in intellectual and [moral virtues](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/what-are-moral-virtues-understanding-their-purpose-in-education). [![Read additional insights on classical education, pedagogy, and more on the ClassicalEd Review.](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20518287/df33f1a6-b070-446c-80b4-ae269b726e34.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/20518287/df33f1a6-b070-446c-80b4-ae269b726e34) ## Study the Great Books With a Master’s in Classical Education  For those interested in instructing through the wisdom of the Great Books, a certificate or [master's degree in classical education](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/4-reasons-to-earn-a-masters-in-classical-education) will immerse you in these works, equipping you to form the next generation in knowledge and virtue. The University of Dallas offers comprehensive [master’s and certificate programs in classical education](https://udallas.edu/academics/programs/classical-education/index.php) for teachers dedicated to forming students in the great tradition. Our curriculum, grounded in the principles of a [classical liberal arts education](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/3-myths-about-classical-liberal-arts-education), ensures a well-rounded approach that promotes intellectual, moral, and spiritual development. To learn more about how to join the growing classical education movement, download our eBook, [An Educator’s Guide to Joining the Classical Education Movement](https://explore.udallas.edu/an-educators-guide-to-joining-the-classical-education-movement).    [![Access the Guide](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/20518287/interactive-179201904971.png) ](https://blog.udallas.edu/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKFc%2F0TIRqjs9EF7e1yE2JX6vydV1lfUghDdyheBWpSfa6zTLfjotUniQ1%2FQjyI3axongwBZGotbDDAQgIWdviqJp5%2FxA4XnCWQEymGXWYPh%2B8Is4by%2FAfhcG1YXvqSEgm1DWo7WljhHSBN4jVUU6awDDd0SVDlWE%2BQnQFbCc9dGazV8V3fY4gHjYaLHmF0fdIDyO8%2BJ4QR45j7RFlUVBEIX35xFQ8ZUIOsAHtJ%2BhzywTsPJRVkaTcD5DqsQw%3D%3D&webInteractiveContentId=179201904971&portalId=20518287)     ## Latest News [![Row of large stone columns with intricate bases in a classical architectural style, casting shadows on a polished floor.](https://blog.udallas.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/AdobeStock_494383061.jpeg?width=352&name=AdobeStock_494383061.jpeg) ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/4-reasons-to-earn-a-masters-in-classical-education) ### [The Benefits of Classical Education: 4 Reasons to Earn Your Master’s](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/4-reasons-to-earn-a-masters-in-classical-education) [ Read More ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/4-reasons-to-earn-a-masters-in-classical-education) [![](https://blog.udallas.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/AdobeStock_523091736.jpeg?width=352&name=AdobeStock_523091736.jpeg) ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/what-are-moral-virtues-understanding-their-purpose-in-education) ### [What Are Moral Virtues? Understanding Their Purpose in Education](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/what-are-moral-virtues-understanding-their-purpose-in-education) [ Read More ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/what-are-moral-virtues-understanding-their-purpose-in-education) [![An open book lies on a table in front of a row of vintage books lined up against a patterned wallpaper.](https://blog.udallas.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/AdobeStock_423494226.jpeg?width=352&name=AdobeStock_423494226.jpeg) ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/classical-education-vs-modern-education-whats-the-difference) ### [Classical vs Modern "Progressive" Education: What's the Difference?](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/classical-education-vs-modern-education-whats-the-difference) [ Read More ](https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/classical-education-vs-modern-education-whats-the-difference) ## Subscribe Today! Subscribe to our blog [ In the News ](https://news.udallas.edu/) ## Team Member Name ** ![team-member](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5377389/theme/images/stock-images/team-member-1.png) Team member bio information. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "UD Admissions", "url" : "https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/author/ud-admissions" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-10T02:27:14.864Z", "datePublished" : "2026-01-28T03:48:32.000Z", "headline" : "What Are the Great Books? Exploring Their Role in Classrooms Today", "image" : [ "https://blog.udallas.edu/hubfs/AdobeStock_890133074.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.udallas.edu/tower-thoughts/what-are-the-great-books-5-reasons-they-belong-in-classrooms-today", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.udallas.edu/hubfs/UD%20Rebrand/UD_Logo_Stacked_Blue.png" }, "name" : "University of Dallas" } } ```