An Eye for An I: Philosophies of Personal Power

by Robert Spillane

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613397626
Publisher:	Made For Success Publishing
Publication date:	03/13/2015
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Robert Spillane is a Professor and past Dean of the Graduate School of Management at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.



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

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.

He has written numerous journal articles and several books on philosophy, psychology and management. His recent books include: 'Questionable Behaviour: Psychology's Undermining of Personal Responsibility', 'The Rise of Psychomanagement in Australia', 'Personality & Performance' (with John Martin) and 'The Management Contradictionary' (with B. & R. Marks).

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.

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher