Ecotopia in James Cameron’s Movie Avatar (2009)

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Date

2019

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Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou

Abstract

Our dissertation has evaluated concepts of Anthropocentrism, Gaia, Technotopia and Ecotopia in Cameron’s movie Avatar. Cameron contributes to the public debate about climate change and acknowledges his moral responsibility to remind viewers -through Avatar- that humanity is destroying its habitat. Our research relies on Karl Mannheim’s “Ideology and Utopia” (1949). Mannheim claims that people’s thoughts are influenced by the social group and historical epoch to which they belong. Furthermore, Mannheim explores the concept of “Utopia”, an idea transcending reality, which presents better alternatives to the “Topia” thus threatening the continuity of this latter. Cameron’s set of ideas in the movie reflect the dominant ideologies practiced in his time, mainly those of capitalism. Throughout the analysis of Avatar, we conclude that the movie: reveals inhuman relation to nature fostered by anthropocentrism, reinforces the Gaia notion of ecological symbiosis, informs about ideologies and environmental policies of some capitalist countries mainly the USA, and most importantly operates as an Ecotopia whose purpose is to counter the capitalist ideologies and to promote ecological sustainability

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30cm ; 60p.

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Literature and Civilisation