This article aims to retrace the idea of ‚World Literature‘, meaning to explain its origins and to demonstrate its continuity from Goethe – who coined the term in 1827 – up to the present day through three dimensions: 1) its anthropological and sociological perspectives, 2) its pedagogical role and 3) its Eurocentrism. By doing this, the article highlights the impact of ‚World Literature‘ on literary studies and the significance of its contributions, while also demonstrating its limits and contradictions, particularly with regard to poetics. In conclusion, the article promotes the use and the development of the idea of ‚World Literature‘, while always being aware of its unavoidable bias.