George A. Dunn 
Avatar and Philosophy 
Learning to See

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

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgments: I See These People viii

Introduction: Time to Wake Up 1

George A. Dunn

Part I Seeing Eywa: ‚I’m With Her, Jake.
She’s Real!‘ 5

1 The Silence of Our Mother: Eywa as the Voice of Feminine Care
Ethics 7

George A. Dunn and Nicolas Michaud

2 ‚Eywa Will Provide‘: Pantheism, Christianity, and
the Value of Nature 19

Jason T. Eberl

3 The Tantra of Avatar 36

Asra Q. Nomani

Part II Seeing the Na’vi: ‚You Will Teach Him Our
Ways‘ 49

4 Learning to See the Na’vi 51

Stephanie Adair

5 It Doesn’t Take an Avatar: How to Empathize with a
Blue-Skinned Alien 62

Andrew Terjesen

6 ‚I See You‘ through a Glass Darkly: Avatar and the
Limits of Empathy 74

Massimiliano Cappuccio

Part III Seeing Nature: ‚Try to See the Forest through
Her Eyes‘ 87

7 Seeing the Na’vi Way: Respecting Life and Mind in All
Organisms 89

Kyle Burchett

8 They’re Not Just Goddamn Trees: Hegel’s Philosophy
of Nature and the Avatar of Spirit 104

James Lawler

9 ‚Everything Is Backwards Now‘: Avatar,
Anthropocentrism, and Relational Reason 115

Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer

Part IV Seeing Our Bodies: ‚They’ve Got Great
Muscle Tone‘ 125

10 The Identity of Avatars and Na’vi Wisdom 127

Kevin S. Decker

11 ‚I Got This‘: Disability, Stigma, and Jake
Sully’s Rejected Body 139

Ryan Smock

12 ‚See the World We Come From‘: Spiritual versus
Technological Transcendence in Avatar 151

Dan Dinello

Part V Seeing Our Political Communities: ‚Sky People
Cannot See‘ 165

13 ‚We Will Fight Terror with Terror‘: Avatar and
Just War Theory 167

Joseph J. Foy

14 The Community and the Individual in Avatar 180

Dale Murray

15 Avatar and Colonialism 190

Nathan Eckstrand

Part VI Seeing Our Ethical Responsibilities: ‚Sometimes
Your Entire Life Boils Down to One Insane Move‘ 201

16 ‚All That Cheddar‘: Lessons in Business Ethics
from the RDA Corporation 203

Matthew Brophy

17 ‚We Have an Indigenous Population of Humanoids Called
the Na’vi‘: Native American Philosophy in Avatar
215

Dennis Knepp

18 I See Animals: The Na’vi and Respect for Other
Creatures 226

Wayne Yuen

Part VII Seeing the Movie: ‚You Are Not Gonna Believe
Where I Am‘ 239

19 The Digital Cabinet of Curiosities: Avatar and the
Phenomenology of 3D Worlds 241

Robert Furze and Pat Brereton

Notes on Contributors: Our Avatar Drivers 252

Index: My Last Video Log 258

Über den Autor

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.