RETIREMENT AND PROFIT SHARING PLANS - Accumulated Benefit Obligation for Material Defined Benefit Pension Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Aug. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2016
UNITED STATES
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 333,588	$ 2,017,437
Non-U.S. Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 1,651,869	$ 1,592,598

Amount of actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered, excluding assumptions about future compensation level.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant