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Avatar and Philosophy: Learning to See
George A. Dunn (Editor), William Irwin (Editor)
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Avatar and Philosophy: Learning to See Paperback 2014
by George A. Dunn (Editor), William Irwin (Series Editor)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
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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
Explores philosophical issues such as religion, morality, aesthetics, empathy, identity, the relationship of mind and body, environmental and business ethics, technology, and just war theory
Examines a wide range of topics from the blockbuster movie, including attitudes toward nature, our responsibilities to nonhuman species, colonialism, disability, and communitarian ethics
Written by an esteemed group of philosophers who are avid fans of Avatar themselves
Explains philosophical concepts in an enjoyable and accessible manner that will appeal to all levels of readers
With a new trilogy of sequels now announced, this is the ideal entry point for understanding the world of Pandora for fans and newcomers alike
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272 pages
From the Publisher
George A. Dunn is Lecturer at the University of Indianapolis, USA, and the Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, China. A writer on pop culture and philosophy, Dunn is the editor of Veronica Mars and Philosophy (2014) and co-editor of Sons of Anarchy and Philosophy (2013), The Hunger Games and Philosophy (2012), and True Blood and Philosophy (2010).
William Irwin (series editor) is Professor of Philosophy at King?s College, USA. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as co-editor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen titles including House and Philosophy, Batman and Philosophy, and South Park and Philosophy.
From the Inside Flap
What is empathy and can the Na’vi tsaheylu help us to achieve it?
How are mind, body, and personal identity related for an avatar-driver?
Does it take an avatar to understand and value the culture of the Na’vi?
What can we learn from the Na’vi about respecting the natural world?
Can religious beliefs help to foster a concern for the environment?
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 environmental ethics, 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?
Written by an esteemed group of philosophers and fellow fans, the book explains philosophical concepts in a fun and accessible manner that will appeal to all levels of readers. It explores issues such as religion, morality, aesthetics, empathy, identity, the relationship of mind and body, environmental and business ethics, technology, and just war theory. It examines a wide range of topics from James Cameron’s blockbuster, including attitudes toward nature, our responsibilities to nonhuman species, colonialism, disability, and communitarian ethics. Full of philosophical insights for even the most knowledgeable film buff, this is an engaging look at one of the most thought-provoking and popular movies of recent years.
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Farai
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on 15 April 2023
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Overall I’d say this is a very Interesting book on the themes and ideas seen in James Cameron’s Avatar. A lot of throwaway lines are explored and philosophical consequences of a lot of themes are elaborated on. I would however have liked if some of the authors had more time to go in depth as some essays are lacking in depth. Speaking of, this is not a book written by one author, it is a compilation of essays from many university professors.
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Noah
TOP 500 REVIEWER
4.0 out of 5 stars A clever bridge between philosophy and popular culture
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 23 June 2015
This is one in a comprehensive series of books popularising philosophy by using movies and TV shows as source material for answering the big questions of life. Both authors lecture in philosophy and Irwin is a professor. The idea of jumping in the back of Avatar (which is about to spawn 2 more movies) is a brave one and will hopefully draw in readers who would normally be put off by a philosophy text. The problem is that if you haven't seen the movies(s) then you need a text book n the world of Avatar to fully help you understand the work. Everything is caged within the language and circumstance of Avatar, and you will not be able to just access the text without some knowledge of the movie(s).
If you like it is the unique selling point of the book that is its own pitfall. This is the only reason I haven't given it 5 stars, because the writing and thinking do deserve that, but access to the book is restricted without a DVD cued up in your player; in fact the book will tell you where to find relevant bits on the disk.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Christianity vs. Pantheism and Anthropocentrism vs. Relational Reason. Also look out for the discussions on disability, and also spiritual vs. technological transcendence.
Useful endnotes are provided at the end of each chapter.
This is an accessible and well written book, which subject to my single criticism is employing a great method of connecting people to philosophical questions, concepts and literature.
3 people found this helpful
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Cartimand
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and occasionally very profound companion to Cameron's masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 23 June 2015
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book; maybe a coffee-table companion, touching on some of the concepts behind Avatar? Instead, I found a surprisingly deep and highly detailed exploration of the ecological, spiritual, feminist, cultural, ethical and sexual philosophy which permeates the movie.
I'm sure most of us were totally blown away by the startling eye-candy of the alien (but very believable) world Pandora, but understanding the profound concepts underpinning the visuals will certainly add to my enjoyment next time I watch the movie.
Although the spirituality of the Na'vi suggests immediate parallels to some eastern spiritualist beliefs (primarily Tantric), the references to Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas and Augustine of Hippo here provide fascinating insights into the Christian metaphors contained herein.
It's not perfect. Firstly, I'm unsure if my copy was an uncorrected proof, but it certainly contained several typographical errors, duplicated words and such like. Furthermore the complete absence of any illustrations was rather disappointing, as was the lack of a glossary. There is a basic (very incomplete) index, but nothing providing definitions of some Na'vi terms as well as some of the more esoteric spiritual concepts.
Overall though, if you enjoyed Avatar, want to see beyond the gorgeous visuals into the surprising depths beyond, and had questions about the reasoning behind elements of the plot, then I doubt if there is any better book than this to satisfy your curiosity.
2 people found this helpful
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Sussman
4.0 out of 5 stars Amoral Corporations, treehuggers and private armies....... anyone heard this tale before?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 25 June 2015
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Avatar is primarily an action-adventure and journey of self-discovery themed film based on speculative fiction. This then set against the background of expansionism, amoral corporation, there is an association with Blue bodied Hindu deities and deep ecology - which James Cameron spoke of in an interview. These themes will perhaps be of more interest to fans of the film and then those who study film. When looking towards the planet Pandora and the Nav’vi peoples we see echoes of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau theory of the "Noble Savage”. In Rousseau’s key concept; that in a natural state man was compassionate and moral. That man could reach his highest state when he came together in small-related groups and learned love for the family, but before he became technically sophisticated.
The Na'vi peoples are seen in partnership, more akin to a symbiotic relationship, with their planet of Pandora for they are part of the rich tapestry of life and certainly not masters of the ecosystem. There is also symbolism here, in the form of the Native American experience at the hands of European explorers, in the form of adventurers and profiteers. A movie somewhat reminiscent of the film “Dances with Wolves”, where there are the good “invaders” from the East who appreciate the plains Indians; could they have been considered to have gone “Native”? Of course, others could be seen as evil and greed ridden.
This book contains an interesting narrative on topics such as the ecology depicted in the narrative, and themes of import. That said it could have benefited from diagrams and pictorials. However, a title that is still well worthy of a good four star rating.
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2 people found this helpful
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Janet Austen
4.0 out of 5 stars A neat use of Avatar as springboard for discussing ethical issues
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 11 July 2015
If you enjoyed watching Avatar, and were moved to think a little more about the issues it raised, then this is the book for you.
The movie famously skimmed over some very big issues, but failed to explore them in anything more than the superficial manner that might avoid boring a 14-year-old viewer. Thus, while the movie hit on some worthy philosophical and ethical issues, it left the thinking viewer feeling there was much more to be examined. This book attempts to fulfil that goal, by applying modern philosophical thought to each relevant aspect of the movie.
I found this worked pretty well for me. I had found the movie lacking in depth, so applying some genuine intellectual thought to it provided me with a neat way into thinking about subjects such as globalization, business ethics, environmentalism, and so on, and of course disabilities. It takes the script and the storyline as its starting point, and then digs into the issues raised. Sometimes it spells out the obvious, such as the contrast between the way Humans and the Na’vi regard the environment. Often though, it takes a less obvious angle and explores that, presenting compelling arguments along the way. This being a philosophical and ethic tome, these are never one-sided matters. The ethical rights and wrongs are never quite as clear as James Cameron might have us believe in his movie.
As someone bored with media articles about these subjects, which just belt out the same old rhetoric without ever examining it, I found this book a refreshingly insightful read. Certainly, it is not so much a book about the movie itself, as a book that uses the movie as a springboard to discuss the issues. That may induce grumbles from movie fans who just want a thrill-ride through the movie, but I found it a pretty good read.
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Pacem et amorem
4.0 out of 5 stars Profound reading about a complex and profound film
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 28 June 2015
I found Avatar to be a thought-provoking film and this book has helped me to organise some of those thoughts. With such a wide scope, the film deals with not just environmental issues but also disability, the link between nature and the self, business ethics and much, much more. This wonderful book helps you view the film in a deeper way than ever before, helping you see things more profoundly and find the hidden messages. I can't wait to watch the film again after reading this book.
I always knew the film was rich, multi-layered and complex but this book shows just how much there is packed in there!
2 people found this helpful
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Beanie Luck
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 18 July 2015
I am in the minority here as i absolutely LOVED avatar.
I got this book as i thought it would be interesting to read and i wasnt wrong.
The film for me was about acceptance, tolerance, ethics and love.
The book explores many boundaries and subjects and i watched the film several times since and see it in a slightly different way than before. I love the way it makes you see that it really does take a village and people are better off with the support of other people rather than alone.
Interesting.
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3.61
23 ratings4 reviews
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
GenresPhilosophy
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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George A. Dunn14 books3 followers
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Emily B.
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January 21, 2019
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.
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Warrior
15 reviews
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July 12, 2023
“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.
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Avatar and Philosophy: Learning to See is the latest entry in Wiley/Blackwell’s long-running Philosophy and Popular Culture series, which began with the surprise hit, South Park and Philosophy: You Know, I Learned Something Today (2006, edited by Robert Arp). More than 40 volumes later, the series continues to use well-known works of popular culture to illustrate philosophical concepts. The Wiley/Blackwell website offers a pithy justification for the series: “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and a healthy helping of popular culture clears the cobwebs from Kant.”
In Avatar and Philosophy, George A. Dunn of the University of Indianapolis and the Ningbo Institute of Technology collects 19 scholarly essays on the 2009 James Cameron film Avatar. A veteran of the series, Dunn also edited Veronica Mars and Philosophy (2014), Sons of Anarchy and Philosophy (2013), The Hunger Games and Philosophy (2012) and True Blood and Philosophy (2010). The contributors include a mix of graduate students and more senior scholars like Case Western Reserve University’s Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer.
According to the jacket copy, “the book explains philosophical concepts in a fun and accessible manner that will appeal to all levels of readers.” This is a bit of a stretch. Although not as dry as most scholarly writing, these essays are still clearly the product of academics. The writers aim for an intelligent readership, but do not assume any prior knowledge of philosophy.
Avatar-landscape
(20th Century Fox)
I can envision two main audiences for this book. It would work well as a supplemental text in a philosophy course, providing students with easily-understood illustrations of concepts like just war theory, feminine care ethics and Hegel’s Philosophy of Nature (1830). Most of the essays are grouped thematically, so, for example, a reader could explore three different ethical paradigms—business ethics, Native American philosophy and animal rights—in the section entitled “Seeing Our Ethical Responsibilities: ‘Sometimes Your Entire Life Boils to One Insane Move.’” But to really develop a coherent understanding of how these concepts relate to each other, one would need a more general survey of classical and contemporary philosophy.
The other main audience would be fans of the film who want to delve deeper into the questions it raises. The central thesis of this book and the others in the series is that popular works are more complex than they appear and that this hidden complexity will reward thoughtful analysis. I agree with this idea.
The main problem for me, however, is that I am just not that into Avatar. The premise of operating another creature’s body is cool, and the visual effects are gorgeous, but the characters are all cardboard cutouts acting out an obvious morality play. Avatar really is just “Dances with Smurfs” (2009) as it was lampooned on South Park—a show that is, by the way, a far more interesting popular work and one that made a second appearance in the series in 2013 with The Ultimate South Park and Philosophy: Respect My Philosophah! (edited by Arp and Kevin S. Decker). This view is explicitly supported by Dennis Knepp’s contribution here, “We Have an Indigenous Population of Humanoids Called the Na’vi’: Native American Philosophy in Avatar.”
avatar
(20th Century Fox)
And while the contributors to this book can’t be blamed for the film’s weaknesses, those weaknesses made it difficult for me to wade through these detailed analyses. I just don’t care enough about Avatar to get much enjoyment out of 250 pages of explication. For those who are really into the movie, though, this book will deepen their appreciation.
The anthology format is both a strength and a weakness. On the plus side, it offers a wider range of viewpoints and theoretical perspectives than would a single-authored work. But since all the contributors wrote their essays without knowing about the others, the anthology feels repetitive at times, with the same handful of scenes subject to multiple dissections.
Avatar and Philosophy is a difficult book to assign a rating to. The book absolutely succeeds in what it sets out to do—to provide “an engaging look at one of the most thought-provoking and popular movies of recent years.” But the audience of Avatar enthusiasts who are interested in digging this deeply is likely a narrow one—and does not include me. But if you love the film and want to explore its deeper meaning, Avatar and Philosophy: Learning to See is the book for you.
