This study is an attempt to reveal the historical roots of the idealized image of the scientist, and its functions for the scientific community. The analysis is based on historical excursions into important periods of the development of science. The evidence reveals the specific ways and means of the idealization of the image of the scientist, the importance of this ideal for the social recognition of science, and the establishment and functioning of the scientific community. The image is also revealed by empirical data, i.e. content analysis of essays written by a sample of Bulgarian high-school students. The students shared representation comprises idealized elements. The historical analysis and the empirical data show that the idealized image of the scientist has become a means for recruitment to the scientific community and for regulating its relations with other social communities.
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