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Robert Spillane
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An Eye for an I: Philosophies of Personal Power Paperback – 13 March 2015

by Robert Spillane (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 9
Edition: 2nd ed.
See all formats and editions

How can we gain insight into and mastery of ourselves? Entering the world of the great philosophers and engaging with them, we become aware of what we are capable of becoming. They speak to us of themselves and the good life and thereby offer the possibility for self-development.

While this sounds like psychology, it is what the ancient Greeks called moral philosophy and its main precept is 'know oneself'. To know oneself is to embrace one's personal power.

From Socrates to Sartre, from Plato to postmodernism, philosophers have important things to say about the personal power that underpins human existence. This book discusses ten philosophical perspectives, or worldviews, which present original ideas capable of evoking in us values that are guidelines for personal conduct. Harmonising knowledge, values and conduct maximises our personal power and thereby enables us to solve the practical and psychological problems of human existence, or overcome those that cannot be solved.

The philosophers discussed in this book embody ideas of considerable fascination and force which can change our lives by penetrating the illusions of appearance and the delusions of common sense. As philosophy is thinking critically about thinking, it is a liberating activity because philosophers confront us with our prejudices and arouse our curiosity without satisfying it.

They show us what they were and how philosophy inspired them to live productive lives. They did not seek disciples but encouraged others to philosophise with them.

We cannot escape from philosophy because we philosophise when we reflect critically on how well we are living.

Philosophy is, therefore, a meditation on who we are and what we can become: it is an eye for an I.

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    1613397623
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1613397626
  3. Edition
    2nd ed.
  4. Publisher
    Goko Publishing
  5. Publication date
    13 March 2015
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    13.97 x 1.57 x 21.59 cm
  8. Print length
    296 pages
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

"Impressive in more ways than one. Robert Spillane does a great job of keeping the writing engaging, clear and increasingly eloquent as the read progresses. As the title suggests, Eye for An I is a book concerning the 'self' and although it is obviously a philosophical read, I wouldn't necessarily say that you would have to be well-versed in any kinds of schools of thought to appreciate the content. With that being said, I am more than confident that many hardened philosophers out there will enjoy the read due to its thought provoking nature.

Admittedly, I find most philosophy to be quite intimidating, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author keeps the flow smooth and concise in a way that completely steered clear of scaring me off. Did I understand every single concept? Certainly not- but I found the vast majority of the book to be easy to take in and I hold that in high regard simply because most books with this kind of premise are far too dense for me to wrap my head around. By no means is the book 'dumbed down', it is just expressed in a way that the average reader such as myself can understand without reading each page more than once.
Lucidity

"An Eye for An I is a transformative and an extensive look at ancient and modern philosophers. Right from the opening you have to sit up and pay attention. Robert Spillane is captivating and is outstanding at his sheer scope of understanding and examination of western philosophy and the insight into the mastery of oneself. I have always loved philosophy and there are a lot of familiar names, from Socrates and Plato to many more in the great read. There are ten philosophies examined and a lot of critical thinking about philosophy and who we are. I really enjoyed this read, there was a bit of work for me, and I had to go back a few times and re-read a few passages, but it was worth it and there is a wonderful resolve that comes as you conclude this exploration of personal power and existence."
D. Roberts

"A great, thought-provoking read for both philosophers and anyone who enjoys great insight. It goes through both modern and ancient philosophers ideas to achieve a better understanding of ourselves. It goes through ten different philosophies that will have you look at yourself, life and perspectives in a new way. I feel like I'm more capable to reflect upon my actions and have a broader outlook on my life after reading this book. Very interesting read!
Courtney

About the Author

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Goko Publishing; 2nd ed. edition (13 March 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1613397623
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1613397626
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.57 x 21.59 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 out of 5 stars 9

About the author

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Robert Spillane

Robert Spillane

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Robert Spillane (B.Com. NSW, PhD, Macq) is a Professor and past Dean of the Macquarie University Graduate School of Management, Sydney Australia.

He majored in clinical and industrial psychology and worked as a psychotherapist for more than 25 years.

He joined Macquarie University in the School of Behavioural Sciences in 1972 and accepted a full-time appointment in the Graduate School of Management in 1976.

In the 1970s he trained with Albert Ellis in New York and partnered with Michael Bernard to organise Ellis's first Australian lecture tour. In the 1980s he worked with and became a close friend of Thomas Szasz in Syracuse, New York. In recent years he has applied Szasz's ideas to the study of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), occupational stress and ADHD.

He has taught at the London Business School, the ABIN Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, in Singapore and Hong Kong and several Australian universities and he was a visiting scholar at the Center for Working Life in Stockholm, Sweden. From 2003 to 2011 he delivered a series of widely acclaimed lectures on philosophy and psychology at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia.

He has written numerous journal articles and several books on philosophy, psychology and management and a play ‘Entertaining Executives’.

His recent books include: 'Questionable Behaviour: Psychology's Undermining of Personal Responsibility', 'The Rise of Psychomanagement in Australia' and 'Personality & Performance' (with John Martin).

In 2006 he received the international Thomas S. Szasz Award from the Center for Independent Thought in New York for his professional contributions to the cause of human liberty.

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3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
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Top review from Australia

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful read into philosophy
Reviewed in Australia on 9 March 2018
Verified Purchase
First book I've read on philosophy. Really enjoyed the content.

Recommend listening to some podcasts or other materials to get some insight into the philosophers discussed.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Messages For The Soul
5.0 out of 5 stars I AM...Inspired
Reviewed in the United States on 8 April 2015
Verified Purchase
What I am is one of those people who loves to think. Not so much talk, but to read and think about well, myself and how I fit into the world around me. I found author Robert Spillane's new book "An Eye For An I" to be one of the most thought-provoking looks at the many philosophers of the past and how they view the path to attaining self-knowledge. It's become a fact for me that I can't find happiness, peace and success in this world until I know who I really am, and once I do, I get that power. Not all of these philosopher's messages may hit home for me, or another reader, but the fact that there are nine schools of philosophy to choose from is a sure bet that some will. I definitely found what I was looking for here.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 11 June 2016
Verified Purchase
Pretty vague
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Karen Karlson
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and educational
Reviewed in the United States on 3 May 2015
Verified Purchase
This book explains important ideas in a clear and engaging way. I do not consider myself an expert in philosophy, but this book explained various philosophical concepts so that I could easily follow its main thesis.

The book examines ten philosophies and discusses their take on whatever concerns personal power. I liked the way a historical perspective was presented. It's interesting to see how some human values change over time, becoming more or less important.

There is a lot of information to process, but I consider this as a good learning experience.
One person found this helpful
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Lucidity
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful
Reviewed in the United States on 7 April 2015
Verified Purchase
Impressive in more ways than one. Robert Spillane does a great job of keeping the writing engaging, clear and increasingly eloquent as the read progresses. As the title suggests, 'Eye for an I' is a book concerning the 'self' and although it is obviously a philosophical read, I wouldn't necessarily say that you would have to be well-versed in any kinds of schools of thought to appreciate the content. With that being said, I am more than confident that many hardened philosophers out there will enjoy the read due to it's thought provoking nature.

Admittedly, I find most philosophy to be quite intimidating, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author keeps the flow smooth and concise in a way that completely steered clear of scaring me off. Did I understand every single concept? Certainly not- but I found the vast majority of the book to be easy to take in and I hold that in high regard simply because most books with this kind of premise are far too dense for me to wrap my head around. By no means is the book 'dumbed down', it is just expressed in a way that the average reader such as myself can understand without reading each page more than once.
2 people found this helpful
 Report