Friedrich Nietzsche and the Matrix

In the film, The Matrix, the human race is forced into a “dream state” by a powerful group that controls their reality. “The Matrix” is a false reality where people live an ordinary life. However, this reality, or illusion, is being forced onto people who readily accept it as truth. This concept is where Friedrich Nietzsche’s essay, “On Truth and Lies in a Moral Sense” (1873) begins its argument. Nietzsche begins his argument by explaining that we have a need to form groups or “herds”. To keep these groups together “a uniformly valid and binding designation is given to things” (452). This idea basically boils down to groups create metaphors to further the groups purpose. Nietzsche continues by explaining that “This creator [of metaphors] only designates the relationship of things to man” (453). Ultimately, we can only derive metaphors from a human point of view. As a result of assigning these human designations, the whole identity of the “thing” is lost. Nietzsche wants us to break away from the designation given to “things” by groups because designations will only categorizes things as black and white.

One might object here that if Nietzsche is arguing against truth, how that argument can be true. Of course, Nietzsche’s argument does imply that we are “deeply immersed in illusions” (452). But, Nietzsche is saying that truths have lost their meaning over time. What Nietzsche really means is “Truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusions; they are metaphors that have become worn out and have been drained of sensuous force, coins which have lost their embossing and are now considered as metal no longer as coins” (455). The essence of Nietzsche’s argument is that a metaphor, over times, loses its meaning. Even m...

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...Nietzsche’s argument may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over politics, religion, consumerism and even education. Let’s examine the movie The Matrix again. The human race is enslaved to a powerful army of robots. The matrix, also known as a false reality, is created to keep the enslaved humans oblivious to what is going on. Finally, the main character, Neo, rejects this illusion called the matrix; and fights to free himself from slavery. Though a bit unrealistic, this argument seems to be parallel with Nietzsche’s argument that we are “deeply immersed in illusions”. Nietzsche insists that an individual who accepts truths “is like a servant who goes in search of booty and prey for his master. Conversely, an individual who rejects this illusion “becomes the master and it dares to wipe from its face the expression of indigence” (461).