The Matrix, Plato and Descartes
There are several obvious similarities between these three works. In The Matrix, the protagonist Neo is a man who learns that his entire existence has been a lie. He has been living in a computer generated dream world along with the rest of humanity. His perceived reality was not actual, he has been deceived. The Matrix has created a false reality for him. Only once he has been given a pill is he able to awaken from his dream state and enter the ‘real world’ (Matrix Film, 1999). In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave humanity is chained in a cave, facing a wall. Their only perception of what is real is in the shadows that play out in front of them. For them nothing else exists. This is reality. When one of the prisoners …show more content…
Neo feels compelled to expose the Matrix and enlighten humanity of their imprisoned state (1999). Plato indicates in his Allegory that the response of the prisoner once learning the truth would be one of pity for those still in the darkness (Plato).
Descartes’s Meditation I shares a similar theme of being deceived by a malevolent outer force and by our very senses and the downward spiral it can lead to. Descartes expresses an almost paranoid circular argument for reality. Descartes famously stated “I think therefore I am”, but if one cannot trust one’s own thoughts how can reality be truly known. And what if ones sense of reality is merely the deception of a demon (Descartes).
All three works ask the reader a disturbing question. Is the world you live in and experience truly real? Can we trust what our senses inform us to be true? Is it possible to be certain that what you are perceiving is actually reality? The answer is that one cannot be 100% certain of reality. One may choose to believe that what is experienced is reality, but how can one be …show more content…
If man simply accepts his preconceived notions of reality and never question his senses, is he not very much like the people plugged into dream machines in The Matrix or the prisoners in trapped in the cave. Never questioning his perception of reality and thus never allowing for the possibility that his reality is in actuality false. This type of thinking can be very destabilizing. If one doubts everything how can one know anything? However, benefit of this method is that it allows man to let go of any prejudices and objectively analyze what will be his foundational truths. Once man has put all his beliefs to the test and determined what he perceives to be true he establishes his basic beliefs
There are several obvious similarities between these three works. In The Matrix, the protagonist Neo is a man who learns that his entire existence has been a lie. He has been living in a computer generated dream world along with the rest of humanity. His perceived reality was not actual, he has been deceived. The Matrix has created a false reality for him. Only once he has been given a pill is he able to awaken from his dream state and enter the ‘real world’ (Matrix Film, 1999). In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave humanity is chained in a cave, facing a wall. Their only perception of what is real is in the shadows that play out in front of them. For them nothing else exists. This is reality. When one of the prisoners …show more content…
Neo feels compelled to expose the Matrix and enlighten humanity of their imprisoned state (1999). Plato indicates in his Allegory that the response of the prisoner once learning the truth would be one of pity for those still in the darkness (Plato).
Descartes’s Meditation I shares a similar theme of being deceived by a malevolent outer force and by our very senses and the downward spiral it can lead to. Descartes expresses an almost paranoid circular argument for reality. Descartes famously stated “I think therefore I am”, but if one cannot trust one’s own thoughts how can reality be truly known. And what if ones sense of reality is merely the deception of a demon (Descartes).
All three works ask the reader a disturbing question. Is the world you live in and experience truly real? Can we trust what our senses inform us to be true? Is it possible to be certain that what you are perceiving is actually reality? The answer is that one cannot be 100% certain of reality. One may choose to believe that what is experienced is reality, but how can one be …show more content…
If man simply accepts his preconceived notions of reality and never question his senses, is he not very much like the people plugged into dream machines in The Matrix or the prisoners in trapped in the cave. Never questioning his perception of reality and thus never allowing for the possibility that his reality is in actuality false. This type of thinking can be very destabilizing. If one doubts everything how can one know anything? However, benefit of this method is that it allows man to let go of any prejudices and objectively analyze what will be his foundational truths. Once man has put all his beliefs to the test and determined what he perceives to be true he establishes his basic beliefs