Daniel Madrigal
Phil 201 –B17
September 29, 2015
Essay Assignment
Plato, Descartes & The Matrix
The Matrix is a film that alters a number of new, as well as tells about the truth behind reality. It parallels Plato’s storyline from The Republic. There are many differences, as well as many similarities I have found from The Matrix as well as The Republic by Plato and Mediations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes. They all ask the same question of ‘what is real?
In The Republic, there are quite a bit of similarities between it and The Matrix. Both do not get a real sense of what the true world is. They only understand what their ‘real’ world is. In The Matrix, the machines tell them what to do. In The Republic, it is what they see in the shadows. They both had valid reasons and evidence that supported their beliefs. According to the allegory of the cave, “the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to the viewing of reality.” However, the Bible does say, “It is our duty to be responsible of what is false or what is true reality.” As there were many similarities, there are only very few
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They both however pose the question of which is better; the harshness of reality or the “ignorance is bliss” of illusion? As a future teacher of young people, I believe it is important to let people believe in whatever they want to believe in. It is always best to have an imagination, as long as you are aware of your surrounding reality. It is extremely easy to go through life living in a haze of ignorance, but all it does is cover up. The longer you live in this haze the harder it hits you when you have to face the truth and reality. Cypher from The Matrix even said, “I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know when I put it in my mouth; the Matrix is telling my brain that it’s juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is
In this essay I shall discuss how the film, 'The Matrix' (1999), engages in a form of cinematic philosophy. Specifically, I will discuss how the film can be seen as making an objection to the position held by Sidgwick (1907), who asserts that, positive states of consciousness, or, pleasure, is ultimately the only thing inherently valuable, which in turn becomes the basis of his utilitarian ethics. In doing so, I consider The Matrix to be a cinematic adaptation of Robert Nozick's (1974) 'experience machine' thought experiment, which the film-makers bring to life, developing it into a narrative that pulls heavily on our moral emotions. However, although the film-makers skilfully elicit the appropriate emotional responses from viewers, ensuring
In 1999, Larry and Andy Wachowski directed The Matrix, a movie featuring the future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality or cyberspace called "the Matrix”. This fake reality was created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population. To some, this movie represents just another brilliant Hollywood sci-fi action film, but for others, it challenges the understanding of perspective, reality and appearance ("The matrix 101," 2003). The Matrix heavily relies on the concepts of Irish Philosopher George Berkeley who believed reality, or reality as humans perceive it, is fundamentally mental and therefore immaterial which is known as Idealism.
In conclusion to these two different pieces of evidence, they are also able to be compared by noticing the facts that if both these characters did not take into account the opinions or beliefs of others, there would never be a way to be different, or a way out.
What if one were living through life completely bound and facing a reality that doesn't even exist? The prisoners in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie The Matrix. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them. They believe what they are experiencing is not all that really exists. Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher wrote "The Allegory of the Cave," to explain the process of enlightenment and what true reality may be. In the movie The Matrix, Neo (the main character) was born into a world of illusions called the Matrix.
Deception is the foundational issue prevalent in The Matrix, Plato’s allegory of the cave, and Rene Descartes meditations. In each of these excerpts the goal of answering the question of what is real and how to uncover the truth is essential. Another question that arises throughout all three excerpts is whether or not the individuals will be able to handle the truth when it is finally learnt. In The Matrix Morpheus reveals to Neo that the life he had previously accepted as an absolute reality is really a virtual reality that is manipulated by a computer which is essentially controlling the mind of every individual as they lie unconscious connected to this
Imagine living through life completely bound and facing a reality that doesn’t even exist. The prisoners in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie “The Matrix” written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them, and they believe what they are experiencing is all that really exists. Plato the ancient Greek philosopher wrote “The Allegory of the Cave”, to explain the process of enlightenment and what true reality may be. In the movie “The Matrix”, Neo (the main character) was born into a world of illusions called the matrix. His true reality is being controlled by the puppet- handlers called the machines who
Unable to know any better, people’s blindness to the truth about their existence throughout the ages has been relative to the questioning of reality. We search but are unable to the see the truth through the illusion that the world before us has portrayed. One might ask, how do we know what is real and what is simply illusion brought by our subjective view of the world? But when attempting to understand the nature of our existence, about why we are here, the complexities of life often make it difficult to interpret this subject. The film The Matrix centers on this same concept that the known world is an illusion. The movies core theme of reality and illusion is definite to the humans understanding of what the true meaning of life is. Ones
This first paragraph that begins the story is perfect in showing The Matrix ideas. Humans live in pods in large fields were they are grown. So like in the story they are prisoners even as children and they are plugged into the matrix or "chained so they cannot move." The fire behind the prisoners is like the matrix program it self, it's there to make illusions and make the prisoners think what they see is "real." Lastly there are the puppeteers who make shadows using the fire and create illusions. The puppeteers can easily be linked to the machines that hold the humans as prisoners and make what happens in the matrix happen. Such as the puppeteers make shadows in the fire to trick the humans, the machines do the same thing in The Matrix, it's just in a more advanced and complicated way. The machines create
Compare and Contrast the ways in which both texts portray individuals in the grip of dreams and illusions
Undisputed belief in the Scripture and its ability to provide knowledge of Gods is one similarity that can be drawn between the two
Ethan Davis Professor Lemenager Philosophy 2513 26 September 2016 The Metaphysical Problem of "Blade Runner" Philosophy can be applied to numerous aspects of existence and life. Existentialism is a popular type of dialogue in philosophy, and it is seen in many current and past films. Film is a way to present philosophical problems to the general public without them actually having to put much thought into it.
In “The Matrix” and Plato’s Phaedo and Republic questions of what makes up a whole and fulfilling life are answered. Both The Matrix and Plato provide alternate forms of reality, one that is based on truth and is fulfilling and one that is based on a false reality that offers false forms of fulfillment. The Matrix and Plato show the difference of living a life in a true reality and a “fake” reality where everything inside this reality is fake making the lives inside this reality fake. True education, the ability to recollect, and knowledge of reality gives people the ability to live their lives in truth and give life meaning
However, The Matrix and Allegory of the Cave have specific differences in their plot. Both stories have an insignificant amount of exposure to reality. In The Allegory of the Cave the prisoners were not able to choose to be enlightened like Neo did. The prisoners were let go and forced to go into the real world outside of the cave. On the other hand, Neo had the choice of taking the blue pill which would bring him to the real world. The Matrix added romance to the story unlike The Allegory of the Cave. Neo about died until suddenly Trinity kissed him and he started to breathe again.
The philosophical thought is that the mind and body are two separate things; with one being able to exist without the other has caused much discussion and debate among philosophers and theologians over the years. René Descartes and Plato, two well-known philosophers, argue that people have a mind or soul, which is somehow connected with the body, but the mind or soul can exist independently from our body. Descartes introduces the mind-body argument while Plato presents the soul-body argument. Although the arguments differ in some ways, Descartes and Plato also have similar opinions on the issue. As a person of faith, there is some difficulty in explaining to a non-believer that when a person dies, the soul does not perish with the body. While siding with Descartes and his belief in a perfect God, this essay seeks to review the issues of dualism and meditation, through the eyes of Descartes and Plato.
point of view you can't accept either of them as the whole truth. Because of