Euclid of Megara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Euclid of Megara
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Euclid of Megara
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| Born | c. 435 BCE |
| Died | c. 365 BCE (aged c. 70 – 71) |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Megarian school |
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Main interests
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Logic, Ethics |
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Notable ideas
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The Eristic method |
Euclid of Megara (c. 435 – c. 365 BC) was a philosopher from Ancient Greece. He was a student of Socrates and founded the Megarian school of philosophy. Euclid believed that the supreme "Good" was the only thing that truly existed. He thought this Good was eternal and never changed. People often confuse him with Euclid of Alexandria, the famous mathematician who wrote Elements.
Contents
Life of Euclid of Megara
Euclid was born in the city of Megara. He traveled to Athens to become a follower of Socrates. He was very eager to listen to his teacher.
Dedication to Learning
At one time, the city of Athens banned citizens of Megara from entering. However, Euclid did not let this stop him. He would sneak into Athens after dark disguised as a woman to hear Socrates speak. This story shows how much he loved philosophy.
Euclid is mentioned in the writings of Plato. He was present when Socrates died in 399 BC. After this sad event, Euclid returned to Megara. He offered safety to Plato and other students who were afraid to stay in Athens.
The Megarian School
Back in his home city, Euclid started a school of philosophy. It became known as the Megarian school. The school was successful for about 100 years. Euclid taught many students, including Eubulides of Miletus. The teachings from this school later influenced Zeno of Citium, who founded Stoicism.
Philosophical Beliefs
Euclid wrote six dialogues, similar to plays, to explain his ideas. Sadly, none of these writings have survived to the present day. Most of what we know comes from summaries by other ancient writers.
The Idea of the Good
Euclid combined ideas from Socrates and other thinkers. Socrates said the most important knowledge was understanding "the good." Euclid took this further. He claimed that "The Good" is the only thing that exists.
He taught that this Good is one single thing, even though it has many names.
- It can be called Wisdom.
- It can be called God.
- It can be called Reason.
Euclid believed that "The Good" never changes. Because of this, he argued that anything opposite to Good does not exist. He thought that virtue was simply the knowledge of this one Good.
Logic and Debate Methods
Euclid was very interested in logic. He and his students used a style of debate called the eristic method. They used conversation to defend their ideas.
To prove a point, Euclid would attack the conclusion of his opponent. He would show that the other person's idea led to a silly or impossible result. This technique is known as reductio ad absurdum. This helped pave the way for future schools of logic in ancient history.
See also
- List of speakers in Plato's dialogues
- Sorites paradox
