EUCLID. A native of Meoara (fifth or fourth century n.c.), founder of the Megarian School of Philosophy. Ile was early influenced by the works of Plirmenides apparently, from whom he learned not only philosophy, but the art of disputation. The fame of Socrates at tracted him to Athens, where he became a de voted follower of the great teacher. He estab lished a school of his own at Megara, the teach ing of which was distinguished by its combina tion of Socratic and Eleatic principles. Euclid held to the unity of Being, as taught by Par menides (q.v.), with the reality of the intellect (vac, ) and the moral ideas as set forth by Socrates. This self-identical Being, he taught, is the only reality and constitutes the good; it is not sensuous but intellectual being, i.e. reason, truth, which is for man the sommum hot After Socrates's death (n.c. 399) Plato and other disciples attached themselves for a time to the Me garian School. From Euclid Plato probably got
the germs of his doctrine of ideas ( cf(51/ ), technical term, which Euelhl first introduced into philosophy. In antiquity six dialogues were current under Euclid's name, but their authentic ity was doubted. Nothing has survived. The date of his death is unknown.
Consult: Deychs, be Mcgaricorum Doctrina, etc. (Bonn, 1827) ; Mallet. Histai•e fie reeole de Meyare (Paris. 1845) ; Ilartenstein, "Veber die Bedentung der Megarischen Schule," in his II is t orisch -Ph ilosoph ische Abit a adl alien (Leipzig, 1870) ; Ritter and Preller. Historia Gr•rea. (Gotha, ISSS) ; Zeller, Philosophic der G ricch , ii. (Leipzig, 1880) treberweg, History of Philosophy, trans. ed., vol. i. (New York, 1872).