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Meditation I Of The Things Of Which We May Doubt

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Since the times of Socrates and Plato, people have asked “how do we know?” Or more simply, “is what we perceive (reality), really real?” This is a mind boggling question, and many people have played off of this. Here are three examples: Plato in The Republic, in which part of his work is a discussion between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon, over a Cave. A second example is Rene Descartes. In Rene Descartes’ famous work, Meditation I of the Things of Which We May Doubt, he believes there is an evil demon out there that controls our reality, in which all we perceive is a lie. The last example is a move from the 1990s, The Matrix. In this movies, the earth has been subdued by machines, and mankind is being used to fuel their power. The way …show more content…

(530) The difference which was just mentioned barely touches the surface. The next difference is a subtle one but is much important, freewill. According to Plato’s version, you could be released, not by your will, but by your captives will, and it is by this will you gain knowledge permitting you to be free from this deceptive reality. In contrast to Plato, Rene Descartes does not mention a way out of the deceptive reality, you are bound to this reality, which is conveyed to you by the malignant demon. In contrast to the two prior, The Matrix, shows there is a way out, you have the choice, just like the scene between Neo and Magnus, Magnus offers Neo two pills, one he can forget everything and go on continuing to live a lie, or the other will set him free and he can know the truth. Another contrast that occurs, is between Plato’s Republic and the movie The Matrix. According to Plato, when people realize they are free of the false reality, they will be overly enthused to be free of the prison. However, in The Matrix, Cypher, a compatriot with Magnus and Neo, learns/realizes to himself he hates the world he is in (the real world), he wishes he was back in the program, therefore he sets out to make a deal …show more content…

If not, can we escape this false reality? This is a hard question, especially after looking at these three works. I believe that what we perceive is reality, only if we can affirm a mind/body connection and there is a God, a good God. If these two affirmations can persist together, and we know, then I believe the reality we, or at least I perceive is real. However, the problem now becomes three-fold, how do I know there is a God? How do I know he is truthful? Lastly, is there such thing as a mind and a body? These questions ultimately cannot be answered with 100 percent certainty among all of mankind. Therefore, can we really ever know what true reality is? I believe, we can never fully know, but we can have faith and believe. Lastly, if this reality is false can we escape? Yes, only if there is a high power out there to pull us out of the false reality. The reason why I believe we cannot is because I believe we do not have the power to observe the mind—that is—being able to step outside of “time” and observe our mind. Therefore, if we cannot observe our mind, then how do we have the power to step out and pull ourselves out of a false reality? We do

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