There are many similarities and differences in the readings of Plato’s The Allegory Cave, Descartes’ Mediation and The Matrix. These stories share an alternative perception to reality and the implications that it is caused on the individuals who are affected by this alteration. These stories share skepticism of validity in the perception of reality.
Firstly, these three stories, The Matrix, The Allegory Cave, and Mediation, share common similarities that questions the authenticity of the world around them and doubts their perceived perception of reality and its validity. Descartes discussed the possibility that everyone is dreaming and that our actions involving eye opening, moving our head, hands and our body are illusions.(Descartes, 1641) Plato also regarded the perception of men who were restrained to look forward only could only perceive objects and passersby as their shadows. Plato stated that these prisoners’ perception of reality would be no more than just shadows of objects.(Plate, 514-518) The Matrix relates with Descartes theory based on the fact that in The Matrix, there is a computer system that controls everyone’s mind in a computer-generated virtual dream world. These stories ask deeper questions on the basis of man’s perception of reality and the possibility that our minds and perceptions are controlled by something else and that something else determines our reality. (Wachowski, 1999)
Secondly, although these three stories share common similarities about the validity of reality, they have distinguishing differences that separate them from one another. The Matrix depicts a stepford-like society that is completely controlled by the computer system. However, there is a group of individuals who have overcome their p...
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...me where those who are living in an illusion will have to come to terms with reality eventually. The time in which that happens, those who are living in the illusion will have a much harder time trying to comprehend the true reality which would cause more troubles and problems than living with the harshness in the first place.
Finally, The Matrix, The Allegory Cave, and Mediation all have significant importance is revelation of the perceived perception of reality and the validity of that reality. Each story has its own unique twist to whom or what has the control over that perception. The stories give the reader the opportunity to dive deeper into this meaning of reality. The skepticism that is used is relatable in each individual’s lives. Individuals have to determine what they perceive to be real and true and what they believe to be opinions that are truly false.
Let me briefly explain a simplified plot of The Matrix. The story centers around a computer-generated world that has been created to hide the truth from humans. In this world people are kept in slavery without their knowledge. This world is designed to simulate the peak of human civilization which had been destroyed by nuclear war. The majority of the world's population is oblivious to the fact that their world is digital rather than real, and they continue living out their daily lives without questioning their reality. The main character, Neo, is a matrix-bound human who knows that something is not right with the world he lives in, and is eager to learn the truth. He is offered the truth from a character named Morpheus, who proclaims that Neo is “the One” (chosen one) who will eventually destroy the Matrix, thereby setting the humans “free.” For this to happen, Neo must first overcome the Sentient Program agents who can jump into anyone's digital body. They are the Gate Keepers and hold the keys to The Matrix.
In one of Plato’s works called The Allegory of the Cave he goes over what it means to get higher knowledge and the path you have to take to get to this higher knowledge. Plato also goes over how this higher knowledge or enlightenment will affect people and how they act. He ties this all together through what he calls the cave. Plato tells Glaucon a sort of story about how the cave works and what the people within the cave have to do to get to the enlightenment. A while down the road the Wachowski siblings with the help of Warner Brothers Studios made a movie titled The Matrix. This movie follows the came concept that Plato does in the cave. With saying that the world that Neo (the main character) was living in was in fact not real but a made
This student of Philosophy now sees the movie The Matrix in a whole new way after gaining an understanding of some of the underlying philosophical concepts that the writers of the movie used to develop an intriguing and well thought out plot. Some of the philosophical concepts were clear, while others were only hinted at and most likely overlooked by those unfamiliar with those concepts, as was this student when the movie first came out in theaters all those many years ago. In this part of the essay we will take a look at the obvious and not so obvious concepts of: what exactly is the Matrix and how does it related to both Descartes and Plato, can we trust our own senses once we understand what the Matrix is, and how Neo taking the Red Pill is symbolic of the beginning of the journey out of Pl...
For the common moviegoer and book aficionado, the movie, The Matrix and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? are bizarre and peculiar. These works are not the usual themes of normal movies and books. These works have a lot of elements in common. Both works have matrices. The movie and the book stress the idea of reality. In both works the idea of what s real and what s not is the central theme.
The purpose of this paper is to expose some of the stereotypes present in the film The Matrix, directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski. In order to accomplish this we shall see that although The Matrix is considered to be a film about rebellion, it contains several stereotypical portrayals, which actually make it a film that supports the status quo. We shall also see that the African American characters in The Matrix (the Oracle, Tank, Dozer, and Morpheus) are all depicted in the stereotypical servant roles. Furthermore, the women (Trinity and Switch) in this film are portrayed stereotypically; that is, they are either reduced to a caring/nurturing role or they simply help make up the background (they do not have a voice). Finally, Morpheus’ initial power and leadership is stripped away leaving him to play the stereotypical supporting and buddy role.
In The Cave prisoners are chained, from birth, to face a wall within a dark cave. These prisoners have never had any interactions with the outside world. Their only understanding of the outside world comes from a bridge and a fire at their backs. When people, animals, or objects cross the bridge, the fire projects their shadows upon the cave wall which the prisoners are facing. To these prisoners, the obscure shadows which dance along the walls of the cave are the only “real” thing they know. To their brains, which have never experienced, seen, or came into any contact with anything in the outside world, this is reality. To the prisoners, reality is a jumble of dark shadows which occasionally move from one end of a cave wall to another. This is their perception of reality because it is all they have ever known. While The Matrix does not involve prisoners being chained to a cave wall, the ideas within it are very much the same as in The Cave. Neo, the main character in The Matrix, has unknowingly been living in the matrix his whole life. The matrix world is his reality much like the shadows on the cave wall are the prisoner’s reality. As the world outside of the cave is the true world for the prisoners, the true reality for Neo is the real world which exists outside of the matrix, which is a highly advanced
The Matrix modernizes the originality of the Allegory of the cave and adds a more feelings towards the question of reality and how others interperts it. The film and the Allegory have many similarities and differnces but they revolve around the same metaphysical question. Even thought they have many similarities and differnces but the important ones for me are: the film and the allegory's view on reality to others, Neo and the freed man are controlled and the final, the difference between Neo and the freed man are the experince of life.
The Matrix, once being released was a world-famous film that involved a lot of thinking and the ability to interpret complex ideas. However, these two topics of fate and freewill were creatively and smartly submerged in this film. The pill, jujitsu and Oracle scene were three main examples of the effect this all had on The Matrix, however there were a few others scattered throughout the film. It remained to be quite a mysterious concept but gradually as more in-depth thoughts came to mind, it seemed to be quite interesting. By exploring these themes it forces us to think if we are in a Matrix and what are reaction would be like if we were to find out that the world we lived in was a fake, never our true reality.
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. It tells a story of a future in which reality to most humans is actually a computer program called "the Matrix”. In "the Matrix” humans are really sleep while their bodies are fed on my machines. The movie while directed to entertain audiences but also gave us many insights into philosophy. Many scenes in this movie reflect Descartes, and his many writings explaining them in a visual manner. In this paper I will show various examples of philosophy within the scenes and give commentary explaining each scene.
There are some very startling similarities in the clash of matrices portrayed by the movie The Matrix and Dawn. On the surface the two works might seem to be addressing different topics, but the books have a common theme, and when the two works are analyzed in-depth, the parallels become readily apparent. The Matrix is about the clash between machines and humanity, while Dawn is about an alien race that decides to trade the survival of humanity for the genetic traits they can use from the human species. But at the heart of both struggles, there is a main character set between two startlingly different Matrices, or patterns of existing, and it is up to them to make the critical decision between which reality will continue.
The Matrix is a science fiction movie about artificial intelligence computers replacing mankind. I believe that this movie is a common type of display from the media is common paranoia so that they can get a reaction from people and sell their story. In the case of The Matrix, the movie dazzles people with awesome special effects using modern computer technology, which I find ironic. I find it self-conflicting and hypocritical for the media to use modern computer technology for their own good to show people how bad technology is. Amy Bruckman and Howard Rheingold would probably find this movie interesting in that it disagrees and agrees with certain aspects about their beliefs about the use of computers.
...The Matrix” and Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” almost gives the idea that the movies writers may have had a lot of influence from Plato’s allegory. The creation of this movie gives and futuristic prospective of “The Allegory of the Cave” letting the people who have seen the movie think about reality and the truth. In conclusion, Plato’s story of the cave brings up many philosophical points and most significantly, addresses the topic of society’s role in our lives. On some level, we are all influenced by the thoughts and actions of everyone else, but at the same time, we as humans have the ability to question, make our own conclusions, and finally make our own choices.
Neo is the main character of ‘’The Matrix” and is captive in a false reality created by the Matrix a computer program, which has taken over the world. In Plato’s Allegory, the prisoner understands reality experienced in the cave and the real reality outside of the cave. Another similarity that “The Matrix” and the Allegory have is the acceptance of the truth of what Neo and the prisoner must go through when that happens they will acquire a deeper knowledge. In order to obtain such knowledge, both the prisoner and Neo need to experience that their senses have deceived them. Another similarity shared is that both characters stories are controlled by a higher power. One example is that Neo lives in a world controlled by the Matrix and Plato's prisoner is in a cave controlled by their captors. Both prisoner
In the movie The Matrix we find a character by the name of Neo and his struggle adapting to the truth...to reality. This story is closely similar to an ancient Greek text written by Plato called "The Allegory of the Cave." Now both stories are different but the ideas are basically the same. Both Stories have key points that can be analyzed and related to one another almost exactly. There is no doubt that The Matrix was based off Greek philosophy. The idea of freeing your mind or soul as even stated in "The Allegory of the Cave" is a well known idea connecting to Greek philosophy. The Matrix is more futuristic and scientific than "The Cave" but it's the same Idea. Neo is trapped in a false reality created by a computer program that was created by machines that took over the planet. Now the story of course has many themes such as Man vs. Machine, Good vs. Evil, and our favorite Reality vs. Illusion. Neo is unplugged from the matrix and learns the truth and becomes "the one" who is to save the humans from their machine oppressors. "The Cave" is similar in that it has humans trapped in a cave and chained up to only face one direction. The "puppeteers" then make shadows against the wall the humans face using the fire from the outside as a light source. One big difference is that "The Cave" is about two philosophers conversing about the cave as one explains what needs to happen and that the prisoners must free their souls to find truth. The Matrix is the actions of what the philosopher describes actually happening. The comparing of the two stories will show how things said in "The Cave" are the same as in The Matrix, of course with the exception that one is futuristic ...
There are some similarities and differences in the excerpts by Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” (Retrieved from Liberty.edu/blackboard), Descartes’s “Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt” (Retrieved from Liberty.edu/blackboard), and the Synopsis: The Matrix (Retrieved from Liberty.edu/blackboard). All three stories are similar in that they seek understanding of accurate natural knowledge, but also have differences relating to “Common Sense Skepticism” (Foreman, 2016). According to Foreman (2016) “This is a healthy kind of skepticism that we all tend to have when we hear stories of things out of the ordinary” (Foreman, 2016). In addition, each of the authors use some reasoning