Avatar and Philosophy: Learning to See

by George A. Dunn (Editor), William Irwin (Editor)

James Cameron’s critically acclaimed movie Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards and received countless accolades for its breath-taking visuals and use of 3D technology. But beyond its cinematic splendour, can Avatar also offer us insights into business ethics, empathy, disability, and the relationship between mind and body? Can getting to know the Na’vi, an alien species, enlarge our vision and help us to “see” both our world and ourselves in new ways?

Avatar and Philosophy is a revealing journey through the world of Pandora and the huge range of  philosophical themes raised by James Cameron’s groundbreaking film

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Zeta9991 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adoro quando gli studioso mettono in relazione con la pop culture la filosofia, le neuroscienze e le materie accademiche in generale. Ogni cosa l'essere umano produce nasconde svariati strati di interpretazione e troppo spesso le università e la cultura cosiddetta "alta" se ne dimenticano. Si possono spiegare concetti complessi anche attraverso i media di oggi perché alla fine sono sempre prodotti da esseri umani, che fanno i conti con gli stessi turbamenti dell'animo da millenni. Certi temi possono modificarsi o rafforzarsi o indebolirsi nel corso dei secoli, ma alla fine siamo sempre uomini che cercano una bussola per navigare la vita.
Alcuni capitoli sono più interessanti di altri, ma in linea di massima tutti hanno il loro fascino.
Il mio preferito è stato "It doesn't take an avatar: how to empathize with a blue skinned alien" che tratta di cosa è l'empatia, i suoi vantaggi e i suoi limiti.
Giusto per fare venire gola a qualcuno però metto qui l'indice, per dare un'idea del tesoretto di questo volume:

Introduction: Time to Wake Up_George A. Dunn

Part I Seeing Eywa: “I’m With Her, Jake. She’s Real!”

1.The Silence of Our Mother: Eywa as the Voice of Feminine Care Ethics_George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud
2.“Eywa Will Provide”: Pantheism, Christianity, and the value of Nature_Jason T. Eberl
3.The Tantra of Avatar_Asra Q. Nomani

Part II Seeing the Na’vi: “You Will Teach Him Our Ways”

4.Learning to See the Na’vi_Stephanie Adair
5.It Doesn’t Take an Avatar: How to Empathize with a Blue-Skinned Alien_Andrew Terjesen
6."I See You” through a Glass Darkly: Avatar and the Limits of Empathy_Massimiliano Cappuccio


Part III Seeing Nature: “Try to See the Forest through Her Eyes”

7.Seeing the Na’vi Way: Respecting Life and Mind in All Organisms_Kyle Burchett
8.They’re Not Just Goddamn Trees: Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature and the Avatar of Spirit_James Lawler
9."Everything Is Backwards Now”: Avatar, Anthropocentrism, and Relational Reason_Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer

Part IV Seeing Our Bodies: “They’ve Got Great Muscle Tone”

10.The Identity of Avatars and Na’vi Wisdom_Kevin S. Decker
11."I Got This”: Disability, Stigma, and Jake Sully’s Rejected Body_Ryan Smock
12.“See the World We Come From”: Spiritual versus Technological Transcendence in Avatar_Dan Dinello

Part V Seeing Our Political Communities: “Sky People Cannot See”

13.“We Will Fight Terror with Terror”: Avatar and Just War Theory_Joseph J. Foy
14.The Community and the Individual in Avatar_Dale Murray
15.Avatar and Colonialism_Nathan Eckstrand

Part VI Seeing Our Ethical Responsibilities: “Sometimes Your Entire Life Boils Down to One Insane Move”

16."All That Cheddar”: Lessons in Business Ethics from the RDA Corporation_Matthew Brophy
17."We Have an Indigenous Population of Humanoids Called the Na’vi”: Native American Philosophy in Avatar_Dennis Knepp
18.I See Animals: The Na’vi and Respect for Other Creatures_Wayne Yuen

Part VII Seeing the Movie: “You Are Not Gonna Believe Where I Am”

19.The Digital Cabinet of Curiosities: Avatar and the Phenomenology of 3D Worlds_Robert Furze and Pat Brereton

[Emily B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little hesitant to pick this book up. The source material, James Cameron's Avatar, has been derided as "Dances with Smurfs", and the promised sequels haven't shown up for nearly ten years. Furthermore, I have vivid memories of my grandma getting motion-sick at the 3-D version. Not exactly positive associations to begin reading...

Despite all of that, I still enjoyed the philosophical discussions in this book. They examined the key themes of the movie and applied them to reality. For example, the idea of placing your mind in another 'avatar' might sound fun, but you're so used to your regular body that being in a new body would be extremely weird. Also, the scientific data in this book made its environmental message stronger than the movie's, or at least it was more appealing to me. I would recommend this book along with the rest of the Blackwell Philosophy & Pop Culture series.

[Xena · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Pandora could be a "giver" to humanity by providing a model for how we can live in communion with our world. Jake receives the lesson, but unfortunately most of the other human beings on Pandora fail to listen and learn.”

This book took me a few times to read before I could fully understand it but I do know that the Avatar movies have always struck a nerve with me about how we could live and the possibility of the unknown and if Pandora and the Navi could exist. It always draws the comparisons of how the Native Americans and Na'vi are similar and so much more, I defiantly recommend this to everyone to understand how we can better ourselves, our communities, our earth and how we can save our planet before we have to go looking for another place to live and what to do if we should have to go to another planet and encounter another life form.

[Rafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le daría 3,5 estrellas pero la clasificación de Goodreads es una m.
Cada capitulo se centra en un tema específico y está escrito por un autor distinto, por lo cual se terminan mencionando demasiaaadas veces las mismas escenas y frases de la peli.
Según me acercaba al final le he cogido más el gusto, lo cual no es la primera vez que me pasa, no sé si será que cuando veo la luz al final del túnel empiezo a leer con más calma y lo disfruto más.
En general me ha gustado, y me parece muy original lo de tratar cuestiones filosóficas usando obras culturales populares.

[Matt Hlinak · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘Avatar and Philosophy’ is a difficult book to assign a rating to. It absolutely succeeds in what it sets out to do, but the audience of ‘Avatar’ enthusiasts who are interested in digging this deeply is likely a narrow one. But if you love the film and want to explore its deeper meaning, then this book for you.

Read my full review at Pop Mythology.

Matt Hlinak
Author of DoG

[Lupyx Edy]

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