Humanism In Avatar

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In this essay, I examine the concept of post humanism according to Cary Wolfe (2009: 16-25) and Florence Chiew (2014: 4-15) in relation to themes presented in James Cameron’s film Avatar. I further explore the concept of post humanism through my semiotic analysis of Figure 1 a scene from the film. In which I discuss the notions of post humanism. According to Wolfe the concept of post humanism refers to the studies of technological advancements and the increasing growth of knowledge of the world in which we live and how this may lead to changes amongst humanity and their interaction with the environment (Wolfe 2009: 16). Wolfe attempts to uncover the cultural apparatuses that reinforces the notion of human’s superiority in comparison to other …show more content…

Post humanism further considers the possibility that technological and historical phenomena; like advancements in knowledge and technology culminate in a fundamental transformation throughout the human species and its relationship to their environment and universe (Chiew 2014:10). Wolfe (2009:25) draws parallels between human and ‘non-human’ species in which a kind of ethical pluralism is formed, offering compassion, understanding and equality between species. The human brain was reconceived as an information processing system similar to that of a computer creating an equivalence between the two; further exacerbating the differences or intelligence gap between the humans and ‘non-humans’ (Wolfe 2009:25). Post humanism thus calls one to re-examine our process of thinking and development in relation to our environment. Inviting us to question what transcends human nature (Chiew 2014:6). Post humanism aims to disrupt the fundamental premises of human exceptionalism (Chiew 2014:6). Human life is not superior or separate to that of nonhuman entities but rather is uniquely intertwined. Human’s consciousness is not self-present but rather located in the phenomenology and ontology of other non-human species (Chiew 2014:6). Humanity is therefore defined by our abilities to evolve, create and design the lifestyle and proximity in which we chose to interact with the

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