Platonic Influence In The Matrix The story illustrated in the Matrix is both, at once, surface and symbol. A student of Mrs. D’Oria’s grade 12 philosophy will recognize the symbolism and the ability of classification will be given in relation to the Matrix and Platonic studies as: the Matrix and the Cave, the Matrix and Recollection, the Matrix and the Forms, the Matrix and the Soul, and lastly, the Matrix and the Coursework.
In Plato’s allegory of the cave, we are presented with the journey of man from the cave of ignorance into the being of reality through a process of examining, identifying, and questioning truths until the Truth is found. Thereafter, the story dicates that the same man, who was liberated, to descend once more into the …show more content…
However, upon residing in the body such memory is abated although it may be recollected through a process of questioning reality. As the prisoner who has left the cave must now sift through variables to discern reality, so must Neo, who has now left the Matrix, commence his process of recollection. This process is gradual and is evident throughout the film in Neo. There are multiple examples of Neo’s journey: the first example, when Morpheus tells Neo, “You have only been looking for me for the past few years, but I have been looking for you my whole life.”, is indicative that Neo was looking for Morpheus before he found him and was asking questions regarding his whereabouts, the second example,, when Morpheus is on the phone talking to Neo regarding the forthcoming agents, the first question he asks Morpheus is “How do you know all this?”, lastly, Neo again asks Morpheus to tell him all he knows regarding the ‘Matrix’ and its origins. It is owing to this process of relentless questions that Neo is able to perceive the ‘Matrix’ as it truly is: nothing more than green code. Much as stated in the Theory of Recollection, Neo, who constantly questions his reality, was able to release the truth hidden in his soul and view the ‘Matrix’ as a false reality, as Meno’s slave, who upon questioning of a …show more content…
Plato theorized that a human is a dual creature of both soul, born with complete knowledge of reality and on the process of recollection, whilst the body conflicts with soul, wishing it ignorant; this conflict Plato called reason versus appetite. In the Matrix, Agent Smith tells Neo, “It seems that you've been living two lives. One life, you're Thomas A. Anderson, program writer... the other life is lived in computers, where you go by the hacker alias ‘Neo’. The body is attempting to force Neo into ignorance by forcing him to lead a normal life in the ‘Matrix’, while Neo, who senses the inherently flawed nature of the ‘Matrix’, aims to free himself from it. This is akin to the idea of the Soul as it represents the inherent conflict between ignorance, which Plato said belonged to the body and in the Matrix belongs to Mr. Anderson, Neo’s avatar in the ‘Matrix’, and the soul, which desires enlightenment and is represented by Neo, who can be considered as the soul animating Mr. Anderson's
In Plato’s allegory of the cave, we are presented with the journey of man from the cave of ignorance into the being of reality through a process of examining, identifying, and questioning truths until the Truth is found. Thereafter, the story dicates that the same man, who was liberated, to descend once more into the …show more content…
However, upon residing in the body such memory is abated although it may be recollected through a process of questioning reality. As the prisoner who has left the cave must now sift through variables to discern reality, so must Neo, who has now left the Matrix, commence his process of recollection. This process is gradual and is evident throughout the film in Neo. There are multiple examples of Neo’s journey: the first example, when Morpheus tells Neo, “You have only been looking for me for the past few years, but I have been looking for you my whole life.”, is indicative that Neo was looking for Morpheus before he found him and was asking questions regarding his whereabouts, the second example,, when Morpheus is on the phone talking to Neo regarding the forthcoming agents, the first question he asks Morpheus is “How do you know all this?”, lastly, Neo again asks Morpheus to tell him all he knows regarding the ‘Matrix’ and its origins. It is owing to this process of relentless questions that Neo is able to perceive the ‘Matrix’ as it truly is: nothing more than green code. Much as stated in the Theory of Recollection, Neo, who constantly questions his reality, was able to release the truth hidden in his soul and view the ‘Matrix’ as a false reality, as Meno’s slave, who upon questioning of a …show more content…
Plato theorized that a human is a dual creature of both soul, born with complete knowledge of reality and on the process of recollection, whilst the body conflicts with soul, wishing it ignorant; this conflict Plato called reason versus appetite. In the Matrix, Agent Smith tells Neo, “It seems that you've been living two lives. One life, you're Thomas A. Anderson, program writer... the other life is lived in computers, where you go by the hacker alias ‘Neo’. The body is attempting to force Neo into ignorance by forcing him to lead a normal life in the ‘Matrix’, while Neo, who senses the inherently flawed nature of the ‘Matrix’, aims to free himself from it. This is akin to the idea of the Soul as it represents the inherent conflict between ignorance, which Plato said belonged to the body and in the Matrix belongs to Mr. Anderson, Neo’s avatar in the ‘Matrix’, and the soul, which desires enlightenment and is represented by Neo, who can be considered as the soul animating Mr. Anderson's