In this blog post, I will examine the relationship between scientific and technological progress, human desires, and the destruction of nature through the movie “Avatar,” and reflect on the direction science and technology should take.
The movie ‘Avatar’ was released in 2009 and was directed by James Cameron, best known for ‘Titanic’. The plot of the film is as follows: The story begins when Jake Sully, a former Marine paralyzed from the waist down, travels to the planet Pandora in place of his deceased twin brother, Tommy. The planet is home to a very rare mineral called Unobtanium, a resource of immense economic value located in the territory inhabited by the Na’vi, the planet’s indigenous people. Humans use Dr. Grace’s Avatar program to build rapport with the Na’vi and urge them to relocate, but the Na’vi refuse. Ultimately, the humans attempt to use force to drive out the indigenous people, but they face fierce resistance and are forced to withdraw from Pandora.
The level of science and technology depicted in this film is portrayed as being very advanced, even by today’s standards. First, the scope of human activity has expanded significantly beyond the solar system into space. While humanity is currently at the stage of exploring space using Mars probes and robots, the film depicts the transportation of large numbers of people to Pandora, which is light-years away from Earth. Additionally, computer screens are rendered as three-dimensional holograms, and technology that instantly analyzes various types of information simply by inserting sensors into plants is also featured. Most astonishingly, biotechnology has advanced to the point where humans can create new life forms. In the film, the avatars created by Dr. Grace are lifeforms born from the combination of human and Na’vi DNA. When a person enters a “Link” device and mentally connects with an avatar that matches their own genetic makeup, they can remotely control the avatar as if it were their own body. Although gene editing and biotechnology have advanced significantly today, the level depicted in the film suggests that humanity has reached a stage where it can freely design and manipulate life.
A hologram is a technology that uses the phenomenon of light interference to create three-dimensional images, meaning it is an imaging technology that reproduces three-dimensional forms just like real objects.
However, in stark contrast to these astonishing scientific and technological advancements, humanity’s attitude toward the Na’vi and the planet Pandora is not much different from that of the imperialist era of the past. In the areas where humans have settled, vast swaths of forest have been destroyed to build runways, and concrete structures have been erected; nature is treated solely as a target for development. Furthermore, they use state-of-the-art weapons to drive out the Na’vi and seize resources. They attack the giant trees where the Na’vi live with missiles, use tear gas to forcibly evict residents, and kill animals that stand in their way without the slightest hesitation.
This film illustrates the dual nature of science and technology: while it plays a positive role in exploring nature and making human life more convenient, it can also be used as a means to satisfy human desires and destroy nature. Every technology has its pros and cons, and its evaluation may vary depending on one’s perspective. However, here we aim to focus on the negative aspects that arise when science and technology are combined with human desires.
Science was not originally conceived as a discipline to satisfy human desires. Science is a systematic discipline aimed at discovering and understanding the universal principles and laws of the natural world. In other words, science is the process of studying and understanding nature. Through such research, humans have created the technologies and tools necessary for daily life, which has led to the development of human civilization.
However, humans have used advanced science and technology as a means to satisfy their own desires—such as securing resources, waging war, and pursuing economic gain. And the result has always been the destruction of natural ecosystems and the extinction of countless plant and animal species. In the film, Neytiri says of the humans who indiscriminately ravage nature to seize Unobtanium, “They’re like children who know nothing.” Perhaps she is right. Just like a child who acts without fully considering the consequences of their actions, humans, believing that science and technology will solve all problems, focus solely on obtaining what they want.
Unlike such humans, the Na’vi, the indigenous people of Pandora, have a fundamentally different attitude toward nature. To them, nature is not merely a resource but the source of life, connected through a being called Eywa. They believe that all living things form a single vast network centered on Eywa, and that every living being possesses a soul. Therefore, even when hunting animals, the Na’vi do not simply kill them; instead, they perform a ritual in which they pray for the animal’s soul to return to Eywa and ask for permission to use its body for their own survival.
This worldview—in which all living things and objects in the natural world are imbued with spiritual and vital energy, and natural phenomena are understood as the workings of these spiritual forces—is called animism. This perspective, which views all living beings as possessing souls, can be found in various primitive societies and cultural contexts around the world. For communities that hold this way of thinking, nature is not something to be exploited or destroyed, but rather something to be respected and with which to coexist. That is why the Navi were able to live in harmony with nature for so long and did not consider their way of life to be backward or inferior. On the contrary, they likely viewed humans—who fail to understand nature and see it merely as an object to be exploited—as more immature and foolish beings.
It is an undeniable fact that science and technology provide convenience to humans and solve many problems. However, this does not grant humans the right to dominate and destroy nature at will. Nature is the foundation upon which humans live; it is a precious source that provides the resources and inspiration necessary to sustain and develop life. Acts that damage nature ultimately undermine the very foundation of human life itself. Moreover, nature does not exist solely for humans but for countless living beings and the entire ecosystem. Even within human society, people who harm the community solely for their own benefit are condemned. Similarly, from the perspective of the diverse living beings inhabiting the vast ecosystem known as nature, humanity’s destruction of nature solely to satisfy its own desires can never be justified.
Fortunately, humanity has gradually become more aware of the problems associated with development practices that damage nature, and efforts to consider the environment are steadily expanding even within the current process of scientific and technological advancement. Furthermore, the international community has adopted sustainable development as a key principle and emphasizes the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. These concepts are reflected in various fields—such as climate change mitigation, renewable energy development, eco-friendly industries, and carbon-neutral policies—and have become far more important values than in the past. However, there are still numerous instances where economic interests and development logic take precedence over the environment.
Moving forward, science and technology must adopt sustainable development as a core principle rather than simply aiming for rapid progress. Furthermore, education and efforts to improve social awareness must go hand in hand to ensure that all members of society understand that the advancement of science and technology without regard for the environment ultimately harms humanity itself. These efforts may not yield results in the short term. However, I believe this is an essential process for fostering a relationship where science, technology, and nature coexist rather than being in conflict with one another.
