In reading both the online synopsis of the Matrix, watching the movie, and reading segments of Descartes’ Meditation I, and Berkeley’s Theory of Immaterialism, a multitude of similarities as well as differences between the them have arisen in my observations. The most striking similarity between them is that they question the reality which is being lived in, or attempt to determine what is reality, or figure what is being controlled by an outside influence. The main difference between them was the thesis of what was controlling reality. In the case of the Matrix, reality was being controlled by a hyper intelligent computer system. While Descartes believed that his perceptions of reality were affected potentially affected by either God or …show more content…
It is as Morpheus points out “If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”
Of course, Descartes isn’t the only philosopher whose ideas can be compared to those in the Matrix. The Matrix provokes the question of “What is real?” which relates to Berkeley’s Theory of Immaterialism. A connection found in the film between the Berkeley’s Theory and The Matrix was when Neo and Morpheus visit the Oracle. As Neo peruses the Oracle’s apartment, he walks into the family room and sees a skinny boy bending a spoon. As Neo watches the Spoon Boy, the Spoon Boy tells Neo “Do no try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth… there is no spoon… then you will see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.” This quote is connected with Berkeley’s Theory because the theory states that there are no objects, but they are instead perceptions of the mind. All objects, from chairs to a glass of water, solely exist in the mind, according to Immaterialism which fits the Spoon Boy’s statement that “realize the truth… there is no spoon”. The spoon in the Matrix doesn’t exist. It cannot be changed. However, when Neo’s perception of the spoon changes, it bends essentially changing and making the impossible possible. Further drawing similarity to Immaterialism. Berkeley’s theory also connects to the Matrix when Cypher has a meeting with
The movie “The Matrix” is a clear demonstration of Descartes Meditation One, they both question the reality in which they are living, and rather or not if it is real or if it is controlled by something else, questioning the current reality. For Descartes, it is controlled by evil demons, whereas a supercomputer controls the Matrix. Both are in what is perceived as a dream state where the senses cannot be trusted.
Unlike Neo from The Matrix and the aforementioned liberated man from Plato’s excerpt, Rene Descartes voluntarily and readily accepted that there were many deceptions in his life and was eager to uncover the truth. Congruent with the other excerpts, Descartes recognized that his senses and experiences had deceived him in the past, so he resolved to find truth outside of these approaches. Descartes’ semblance to The Matrix and Plato’s analogy is also discernible when he recounts how the misconceptions he formerly held are familiar and comfortable, making him susceptible to regressing back to those
This essay will examine the philosophical questions raised in the movie The Matrix. It will step through how the questions from the movie directly relate to both skepticism and the mind-body problem, and further how similarly those problems look to concepts raised by both Descartes’ and Plato’s philosophies. It will attempt to show that many of the questions raised in the movie are metaphor for concepts from each philosopher’s works, and why those concepts are important in relation to how they are presented in the film. In this analysis, we will examine the questions of skepticism and the mind-body problem separately. Part one will examine how the film broached the subject of skepticism, and in doing so how it ties in to
When comparing The Matrix to Descartes, Deep thinking 1: Concerning Those Things That Can Be
Descartes also argues that the mind can deceive us. After reading Berkeley’s theory of the mind, I realized that dualism is very prevalent to most philosophers. I believe now that dualism is a kind of walking by faith and not by sight. Berkeley in the dialogue believes in the love of the mind, whereas Descartes argues the belief in matter. Berkeley was an idealist, who said, (to be is to be perceived). He argues that: All the things we see and feel are real. He believes that our senses can be trusted. Berkeley tried to prove this by stating: The qualities we perceive as existing really do exist, because we can perceive it, it does exist.
Descartes is under control by evil demons, whereas The Matrix is controlled by a computer. They are both in a dream like reality. They both question whether or not they are a dream and if everyday life is real. The major difference is that the character in The Matrix Neo found true reality. He found out that he was living a lie his whole life.
The Matrix, The Allegory of The Cave, and Meditation I of the Things of Which We May Doubt all confidently state that reality is not what it seems. The Matrix is about a computer that runs a simulation of the real world and the whole population is hooked up to this computer stuck in a simulation. The Allegory of the Cave exemplifies humans (representing mankind) in a cave transfixed in one spot. The people in the cave are stuck watching puppets of everything of the Earth and perceive the world from only what they see. Lastly, Meditation I of the Things of Which We May Doubt illustrates the mind-body problem and Descartes goes into his own doubts that he has from opinions that he held true without giving proper
In the looking at of the framework the Matrix, Plato's The Republic (The Allegory of the Give in), and Descartes Meditation I, I can see distinctive likenesses and furthermore separates. They all demand reality in which they are living, and rather or not is it veritable or controlled by an option that is other than what's normal. In every single one of these stories the all-inclusive community were suspicious of what reality truly is or isn't. They all in like way anticipated that would leave what they saw as reality to watch what they recognized to be true blue reality. There were also several complexities between them also. For instance, in The Matrix it was controlled by a structure, Plato's surrender was controlled by humanity, and Descartes
“Allegory of the Cave” and The Matrix Comparison The Matrix was made in 1999, by Andy and Lana Wachowski. The Allegory of the Cave was by Plato. Each film brings to mind the two common questions; “Are we in the real world or the illusion of the real world? and “What is reality?”.
If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Neo here starts to doubt his reality by the guidance of Morpheus that enables Neo to discover the
When looking at Descartes’s meditations one can find similarities with The Matrix. In the film Morpheus asks the question of what the difference is between the real world and the dream world. Descartes reflects and asks if he is in fact awake or sleeping “I see plainly that there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep” (Descarte, 111). This adds to the overall question of both The Matrix and Descartes’s meditation of what is
Compare and contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some of the similarities and differences? As we read through and try to decipher what is tangible and what isn’t there are three areas that we draw our attention to for this question: “The Matrix”, “The Allegory of the Cave” and the more intelligible “Meditations”. Perception based reality is recognizable in “The Matrix” and “The Allegory of the Cave” and we notice this in the boundaries.
This essay will discuss The Matrix, from synopsis of the following; The Republic by Plato, depicting the famous cave allegory, and Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes, offering doubt that some senses are accurate. By examining these two readings, and the movie, it will allow the author to show some comparisons, and to show how they are also different as this essay indicates the world is very real.
After reading the three different summary’s, as well as some other clarifications regarding the Matrix, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Descartes Meditation I of the things of Which we May Doubt, I do identify quite a few ways that they are comparable, as well as many of their differences. All three ask the same question with regards to the realism in which is each character or plot is living and whether they are or are not factual or organized by something or someone in their minds. In the Matrix, the main character is a gentleman who is actually trying to live two separate lives, in Plato’s Allegory, the cave was controlled by mankind, and last but not least in Descartes Mediation, was controlled by the perception of evil/demons. While all of these are alike in regards to the operations of the mind, they are different in how they are possibly perceived.
How do we know we are not dreaming, living in a Platonic cave, or trapped in some sort of matrix? From the perspective of epistemology, these questions can – and have been – argued from any perspective. In my opinion though, I would say that we can prove that the world we are experiencing is real based on our senses, on objects within our reality, and even based on our dream states. Our senses tell us that the world around us is real – the things we touch, we taste, we smell, we feel, we hear; these things are all around us, with multiple senses heightened at any given moment. The consistency of this truth never wavering.