Avatar and Philosophy
Learning to See
Samenvatting
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
Specificaties
Inhoudsopgave
<p>Introduction: Time to Wake Up 1<br /> George A. Dunn</p>
<p>Part I Seeing Eywa: I m With Her, Jake. She s Real! 5</p>
<p>1 The Silence of Our Mother: Eywa as the Voice of Feminine Care Ethics 7<br /> George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud</p>
<p>2 Eywa Will Provide : Pantheism, Christianity, and the Value of Nature 19<br /> Jason T. Eberl</p>
<p>3 The Tantra of Avatar 36<br /> Asra Q. Nomani</p>
<p>Part II Seeing the Na vi: You Will Teach Him Our Ways 49<br /> <br /> 4 Learning to See the Na vi 51<br /> Stephanie Adair</p>
<p>5 It Doesn t Take an Avatar: How to Empathize with a Blue–Skinned Alien 62<br /> Andrew Terjesen</p>
<p>6 I See You through a Glass Darkly: Avatar and the Limits of Empathy 74<br /> Massimiliano Cappuccio</p>
<p>Part III Seeing Nature: Try to See the Forest through Her Eyes 87</p>
<p>7 Seeing the Na vi Way: Respecting Life and Mind in All Organisms 89<br /> Kyle Burchett</p>
<p>8 They re Not Just Goddamn Trees: Hegel s Philosophy of Nature and the Avatar of Spirit 104<br /> James Lawler</p>
<p>9 Everything Is Backwards Now : Avatar, Anthropocentrism, and Relational Reason 115<br /> Jeremy David Bendik–Keymer</p>
<p>Part IV Seeing Our Bodies: They ve Got Great Muscle Tone 125</p>
<p>10 The Identity of Avatars and Na vi Wisdom 127<br /> Kevin S. Decker</p>
<p>11 I Got This : Disability, Stigma, and Jake Sully s Rejected Body 139<br /> Ryan Smock</p>
<p>12 See the World We Come From : Spiritual versus Technological Transcendence in Avatar 151<br /> Dan Dinello</p>
<p>Part V Seeing Our Political Communities: Sky People Cannot See 165</p>
<p>13 We Will Fight Terror with Terror : Avatar and Just War Theory 167<br /> Joseph J. Foy</p>
<p>14 The Community and the Individual in Avatar 180<br /> Dale Murray</p>
<p>15 Avatar and Colonialism 190<br /> Nathan Eckstrand</p>
<p>Part VI Seeing Our Ethical Responsibilities: Sometimes Your Entire Life Boils Down to One Insane Move 201</p>
<p>16 All That Cheddar : Lessons in Business Ethics from the RDA Corporation 203<br /> Matthew Brophy</p>
<p>17 We Have an Indigenous Population of Humanoids Called the Na vi : Native American Philosophy in Avatar 215<br /> Dennis Knepp</p>
<p>18 I See Animals: The Na vi and Respect for Other Creatures 226<br /> Wayne Yuen</p>
<p>Part VII Seeing the Movie: You Are Not Gonna Believe Where I Am 239</p>
<p>19 The Digital Cabinet of Curiosities: Avatar and the Phenomenology of 3D Worlds 241<br /> Robert Furze and Pat Brereton</p>
<p>Notes on Contributors: Our Avatar Drivers 252</p>
<p>Index: My Last Video Log 258</p>