ECLEC'TICS. those philosophers who, without attaching themselves to any par ticular sect, select whatever appears to them the best and most rational from each.—The Eclectics were a Feet of Greek philosophers who endeavored to mould the doctrines of Pythagoras and Plato, a-nd blend them with the theology of the Egyptians, and the tenets of Zoroaster. They borrowed many of the principal truths of Christianity from the catechetie school of Alexandria...tint blending these with the mysticism of Pythagoras, the er rors of Plato, and the superstition of Egypt, they hoped to reconcile the Chris tians and Pagans to the same opinions. An eclectic spirit, it is evident, can only arise at a period of some maturity in phil osophical speculation. Whether or not it is to be regarded as an evidence of the decay of original power in the age in which it appears, must depend on the less or greater coherence in the system when completed. In one sense of the word, Plato and Aristotle may be regarded as eclectics. They both availed themselves largely of the labors of their predecessors.
Plato, in particular, comprehended in his scheme of philosophy the whole of more than one foregoing system; as the doc trine of Ileraclitus of the perpetual flux of sensible objects, and the consequent uncertainty of sensible impressions. But in the hands of these great thinkers the discerpta membra arc reunited, and en dued with a principle of vitality- as eon stituent parts of a whole The same cannot be said of others who have adopted a similar method ; especial ly of most of those to whom the term eclectic has been more particularly ap plied. A far more favorable specimen of the eclectic spirit has been afforded us in modern times in the person of M. Victor Cousin, without doubt the most able and ingenious thinker of modern France. See his Lectures ore the History of Philoso phy, in which eclecticism is presented un der its fairest guise, and vindicated with the utmost vigor of style and acuteness of thought.