In this paper I am going to be delve into the controversial philosophical situations that are thoughtfully exemplified through The Matrix (Wachowski, 1999). The backbone of the film’s narrative is centered around arguments made by famous philosophers, Plato and Descartes. Through comparison and contrasting of these views against The Matrix, I will make arguments that reason, thought, and creativity form the basis of our human nature and, in turn, our reality. In The Matrix, we are presented with a virtual world that is carefully created and maintained by machines as an illusion to the human race. Its participant’s consciousness lives purely within this manufactured world and they rightfully perceive their “virtual” surroundings as reality. …show more content…
Over 2400 years ago, one of history’s greatest philosophers, Plato, said that life is like being chained up in a cave forced to watch shadows projected onto a stone wall. His Allegory of the Cave notes that there are similarities in everyone’s perspective and beliefs based on their perception of their surroundings. But as soon as their perception of their surroundings changes, the core truths of what they know about reality does as well. Unknowingly living life under the umbrella of an illusion is a common thread connecting the Cave Allegory and The Matrix. One of the most apparent questions that is brought before both of their audiences is the question that uncovers the source, components, and importance of reality. All three characters in the allegory become critical of their existences and are all struggling to accept that that their understanding of the world could be far from the truth. Similarly, the Zion operatives long to discover the true reality behind their situation. A commentary states that, “It philosophises, drawing the viewer into a process of becoming critical of appearances… if the Matrix draws on and makes use of philosophical themes, we can also in turn make use of The Matrix to illustrate and critically reflect on philosophical themes.” (Falzon, pg …show more content…
Similarly, Morpheus, one of the main forces in uncovering the machine’s rouse, alluded to the fact that the world needs to wake up to reality. Cypher, on the other hand, feels that they would live a simpler life if they just returned to the imitation life in the Matrix. These scenes allude to the different perspectives had by the three different prisoners in Plato’s allegory. Plato fully believed that people are fully aware of what the truth is, but are stubbornly unwilling to accept it for what it is. He continues to note that they didn’t want to accept the truth because, if they did, it would be unsettlingly painful and they would be forced to change everything they worked so hard to believe or reside back into the their sheltered ignorance. Because of these conclusions, I assert that although the physical world around humans might not be changing like it is in The Matrix, an individual has the power to create their own narratives of reality that comprise their mental