The Matrix and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

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Recommended: Reality vs Illusion

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 understanding of reality is only defined by their choice to choose the truth, and believe what they want to believe. The question that drives us is not the issue of our existence or reality, but purely our desire to seek out the truth of the real world and apply it others perceptions.
What was found so captivating about this this sci-fi action movie The Matrix? The various interpretations among many audiences were commenced due to the intriguing, cryptic plot and enthralling dialogue. The Matrixes fundamental premise and interpretation of the worlds understanding of reality raised interesting questions. A majority of these questions were based upon the story and following of one character, Neo. The film begins by introducing Neo, a boy who all his life has realized that there is something not quite right with the world he sees around him. And as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the explanations do not quite fit the facts. It is soon realized that it is not somewhere in the late 1990s...

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...ruth on his own, just as Neo will then do once he has the proper understanding of himself. The prophecy says that he will end the war between humans and machines, thereby exposing the truth of the matrix. He seeks truth and is similar to the hypothetical prisoner who escapes from his chains in Plato’s allegory (Partridge, 2005). Just as Plato supposed his prisoner would try to free his fellow prisoners, the free humans in The Matrix had a similar goal.

Works Cited

The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999. Film.

Partridge, John. Philosophers Explore The Matrix. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. 239-58. Print.

Plato, and I A. Richards. Plato's Republic. Cambridge: Cambridge U.P, 1966. Print.

Vasiliou, Iakovos. "Reality, What Matters, And The Matrix." Philosophers Explore The Matrix. New York: Oxford UP, 2005. 98-113. Print.

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