This is an essay of the advantages and disadvantages of the chronological study of literature for students of the upper secondary school. After a brief background of what relevant regulations and course descriptions have to say over the matter, I study four arguments, two against and two for, that has surfaced in the debate, where active teachers as well as scientists has participated. The first studied argument is one that denies the existence of a fixed and established list of what can reasonably be considered as good literature. According to this argument there is no list of good literature, and hence no good reason to study it chronologically. I try to show that this argument is based on a variant of aesthetical nihilism that is very controversial, and that has not been proven in the debate. The second studied argument is based on constructivist principles of pedagogy. According to this argument, such a pedagogy that is based on the experiences of the students, is incompatible with a chronological study of literature. Though according to my analysis, this does not seem to follow at all. The third studied argument is based on the heremeneutical premise that literature can only be understood in relation to the society in which it was written. This argument seems to have some substance, but I argue that while some literature must be studied with an eye to the historical background, it doesn’t imply anything about whether the study must be chronological or not. The fourth studied argument is based on the principle that literature and its history has a social role in keeping a community together. I relate this argument to theories of personal identity presented by Alasdair MacIntyre, and argues that this actually is a strong argument for the chronological study.