What does the film "The Matrix" suggest about the nature of reality, our ability to distinguish between what is real and what is not, and the value of life in and out of the 'matrix'?
The movie “The Matrix” hit on every aspect that we discussed in class. Most of us agreed that our senses determined what was real for us or not. However, in the movie all the people in the matrix were tricked into thinking they were using all their senses through eating, seeing, hearing and touching, but they were being programmed to think they were. They had never used any of their natural senses before. The machines were guiding them to think they were living their lives as they had before, only to give the humans comfort in order to keep them living to use their energy. What I found humorous was the remark made about the taste of food. How did the machines know what certain food tastes like, and maybe that’s why many meats taste like chicken. Yet, the group of people that were freed from the matrix wouldn’t be able to answer that question either, because those foods no longer existed where they were. There was also the question of time. Morpheus only had an idea of what year it was, and there were no clocks to determine an exact time of day. They all had to rely on their bodies natural body clock to determine when they were to rest and eat. So in a sense they had to create their hours of the day. However, they could have been eating breakfast during dinner and sleeping through what would have been the day. I found it interesting how the movie was able to use Plato’s cave theory about how if people were to ever leave the cave and everything that they thought was reality, they would want to return to the cave. The character named Cypher was not able to get use to the true reality of their lives, and made the comment, “Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill.” He was content with living in this false reality, because it was more comfortable to him than being “awake.” On the other hand, when he was making the arrangements for his new life in the matrix he wanted to make sure that life was more comfortable too. So, the reality that most of us live in isn’t necessarily the reality we want. “The Matrix” did illustrate how powerful the mind works with our bodies. If a person died in the matrix then they would truly die outside of it as well. To lose a life that was taken out of the matrix was harder for the characters to handle, because each life was truly valuable. According to the movie, they couldn’t possibly save all the humans, only the ones that were important to the cause. When they were inside the matrix the lives were looked upon as dispensable and unimportant. I felt more sadness when one of the “naturally made” brothers were killed, because it was like killing an animal on the endangered species list. It was as if he had more value then the rest of the grown humans. What is frustrating with the whole theory of reality is, even though some people were woken up from the matrix, was their new reality still a real reality? The question is infinite and can never be truly answered. No matter what a persons beliefs are, or what their reality is, the question still applies.
The film, “The Matrix”, questions the definition of what reality is. The leading character, Neo, is brought out of a supposed surrealistic, computer-generated world onto a ship, out of the “real” world. Neo comes to terms with the “truth”, that he has been living in a world, his known reality, which as Morpheus states it, is merely “electrical signals that are interpreted by your brain”. This is known as the Matrix.
The Matrix was supposedly created by machines to control humans through a computer-generated dream world. The Matrix is not real and the “real” world is unlivable for humans.
The idea behind “The Matrix” parallels Plato’s cave description of the perception of reality. It mirrors his idea of two worlds: one being changeless and the other changing.
The illusion of reality inside the Matrix along with the fact that the human race has been denigrated to the purpose of generating energy for machines is in direct conflict with the value system that we live in daily. As I viewed the film, I mentally fought with the message of the movie, constantly trying to move back towards a homeostasis of the value system that I am accustomed to. The movie, “The Matrix”, is a surreal story dealing with perceptions of what is real and values that are preeminent in each “world”.
Reality in the movie "The Matrix" was portrayed as a computer program that generates the minds ability to percieve all senses as tangible while the brain is hooked up to the computer. The brain has no idea of what is real or not in the movie. This effects the worth of life in "The Matrix", because if you think that you are going to die while you are in "The Matrix" your senses have no clues of otherwise.
The movie “The Matrix” suggests that we as humans are blind to how the world really is. The movie suggests that we are unable to see the “real” world and we are trapped in the “matrix.” In the movie our world is smoke screen for the real world because we would not be able to cope with the real world and would most likely refuse to accept it. The real world is dark, dirty, and people fighting to survive the attacks of the machines. In “The Matrix” the humans in are so focused on working and trying to make a perfect life without truly knowing the purpose of their lives. Everything in the “matrix” is unreal and is just an illusion to comfort humans that their lives are perfect. The reality that the humans live, according to the movie, are simply electronic impulses to the brain that makes them think something is real. These impulses blindfold them from seeing the “real” world. On the other hand, outside the “matrix” in the “real” world, there are hardly any natural humans left, people are created by machines and used as a food source. These people are suffering and trying to overcome the attacks of the machines and find themselves in constant struggle to live. In the movie the people outside the matrix is the reality, a gloom world under constant attack. This movie suggested that most humans are living in an environment that is nonexistent a mere images and object which we want to experience. The humans in the matrix are so consumed with their own lives that they do not want to see the reality, a reality in which humans struggle to survive. In the matrix people are so busy rushing that they are blinded to the real world and do not appreciate life or their world. On the other hand the people outside the matrix in the “real” world are fighting for life and care for one another. These people are doing everything in their power to ensure that the human race survives through the difficult circumstances that they are in.
WHAT IS THE MATRIX The film The Matrix and reality. I believe the film originated in the mind of a computer geek. This is like a computer gamer’s fantasy world of perfection. At one time I think there was a belief and still am, by some people that we are inventing a computer world that will take over what we consider the real world. However what is created by computers is actually man made. The movie seems to make you force your belief system into believing that what you see might not actually be what’s real however what you believe is actually what is real. It pushes you to believe that there is a door to an outside or inside world that was created by man and now the machine created a mind of its own to continue to run it and man as its battery. The reality the Matrix seems to push is that we are in a box and that if we think outside of the box we won’t just be another cog in the machine that is the world. Could this actually be reality? It could be reality if you believe that maybe someday this might be reality. The movie actually makes you question everything. The movie almost forces you to believe that reality is not what you see but what you believe and what your mind can create. Can we distinguish what is real and what is not? I don’t know, because the Matrix could actually be reality just one that we don’t know about yet. I also believe that how you value life is how you value life. Even if there was or is a Matrix your value system would be the same. I believe your value system is as much as you believe and what you make of values by the things you believe. So are the values that the movie questions really a value system or just a belief system? Is there really a difference between reality and values? I believe that the movie does not really question the value system but it does question a belief system. Outside of the Matrix we are just a cog in a world that is a world of fate. However, inside of the Matrix your world is whatever you believe your world to be and beyond, as long as you believe. Your mind made the computer, your mind makes the computer intelligent, and your mind is the computer, which makes you the computer or the mind of the computer, which makes you in charge of all things. So your mind will free you if you believe.
The movie ‘The Matrix’ provides much food for thought! The parallelism between Plato’s theory of comparing us to living in a cave and the reality portrayed on the movie was quite astounding. The “cave” being the reality of a person inside the matrix, the rabbit hole being the tunnel toward the outside of the cave, and “true” reality being outside of the cave or matrix. In the movie we are shown how the people inside the ‘matrix’ are living (what they think, see, feel, smell, and taste) normal, day to day lives. Actually, from outside of the matrix, their senses are being manipulated by a computer program to make them believe their daily lives are happening when they are really, in the alternate reality, being grown to feed their energy to the machines that control their thoughts. The mind is very powerful and can create feelings that shouldn’t be. While in the ‘matrix’, it was shown that if the person died in the matrix, he/she would die outside as well because “the mind makes it real”, as Morphius said. Experimenters that had results effected by the placebo affect could attest to this phenomena. This makes it very difficult to distinguish what is “real” or not. As for the quality of life outside of the ‘matrix’, I have to agree with Cypher when he said, ”ignorance is bliss!” Many times people want so desperately to know the truth, but after they find out they wish they didn‘t. This is the same thing portrayed by Cypher when he said he wished he had taken the blue pill. True, outside the matrix you’re mind would be free, and you may be able to dodge bullets or bend a spoon with your mind, but I would rather live in a world where you wouldn’t have to. Living outside the matrix, underground and being hunted by machines, knowing that you are the only hope for the human race to repopulate and regain control and fix a scorched planet seems a little to depressing to me, I enjoy my steak and wine to much…give me the blue pill!!
The Matrix evokes a false reality. It leads us to believe that we are experiencing reality when actually we are experiencing an illusory world. Persons in the matrix are really part of a machine with electrodes connected to their brains, making them experience a dreamlike world that seems real to them, but they are actually just bodies in pods connected to electrodes. People are kept in this illusory state until they are needed to feed the machines. The idea of the matrix suggests that our senses may not be a reliable source of information when trying to distinguish what is real from what is unreal. If one is in the Matrix, his/her senses would suggest that they are experiencing reality, say going to school or visiting with friends, when actually they are just bodies in a pod with electrodes connected to their head making them feel as though they are really doing the things they experience to be real. There is no indication within the experience world of the matrix to suggest that reality is other than what they experience. Those who are able to escape from the Matrix find themselves in a world that they did not know was there, but once they are out of the Matrix they can distinguish the real world from the illusory world of the Matrix. The Matrix idea suggests that our entire perception and experience of the world could be illusory for all we know – how can we know whether we are plugged into the Matrix or not from all of our experiences and perception? The Matrix movie suggests that it is better to experience reality than to be trapped in an illusory world, based on Neo’s quest to rescue people from the Matrix. Neo wanted to free the people from the Matrix because he felt it would be best for people to live a real life, instead of an illusory one.
In the movie the “Matrix” reality is perceived by humans and there is no difference between real and not real. Everything is controlled by the mind. The people that seemed to be in the real world were depending on technology. In class when we had the group discussion, it made me wonder what is really real. How do I know that I’m not dreaming? Our mind plays a great role in our senses. If we really emphasize on something, it seems that our mind believes it. I have noticed that many people take for granted what the real significance of life means. We depend too much on our technology. We believe that without it we can’t get anywhere.
After class I started to think about what “The Matrix” really means. According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary the word “Matrix” means, “something within or from which something else originates, develops or takes form.” This definition follows the plot of the movie well. As far as we could tell Neo’s life began in the Matrix. The Matrix was his reality, and at some point he began to question the validity of this. The movie plays on the idea that most of us are searching for something, that there is some unanswered question that drives us as humans. Morpheus gives Neo the chance to see life from a different perspective believing he is ready to discover this new reality. This idea supports Plato’s cave theory. If what we see is not all that is there then how and when would we be ready to know the truth.
In the film "The Matrix" the nature of reality is really examined. As soon as the audience starts to figure out what is going on one of the main characters, Morpheus asks the main protagonist, Neo, “What is real? How do you define “real”?” Morpheus went on to sum up one of the ways we describe reality pretty well when he said, “If you’re talking about what you can feel… what you can smell, taste and see… then “real” is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Right away Neo is asked to believe that everything in his life until that point only existed in a dream world and he is only now awakening to reality. Neo even asks why his eyes hurt and Morpheus tells him that it’s because he has never used them before. I am reminded of what Plato said about the man being dragged from the cave in The Republic. He said “Consider then what deliverance from their bonds and the curing of their ignorance would be if something like this naturally happened to them. Whenever one of them was freed, had to stand up suddenly, turn his head, walk, and look up toward the light, doing all that would give him pain, the flash of the fire would make it impossible for him to see…” Neo must have felt like the man Plato spoke of being dragged from the cave of his accepted reality into the overwhelmingly bright light of the really real and true. Imagine being told the world you know exists only as part of a neural-interactive simulation called “the matrix”. I can understand why a person would fight finding out the truth although their world is nothing but an illusion. I can also understand why the character Cipher would want to be reinserted back into the matrix. I think a comfortable dream world would be a lot more appealing to some people than a harsh and challenging reality. Maybe that has something to do with why it is so hard to know real truth, because the truth can be very painful. I think this film points out that our ability to know what is real and what isn’t is not very good, especially if we aren’t questioning the world around us and looking for answers. Neo wouldn’t have been freed if he did not question his world or if he just accepted his reality. Knowing truth requires searching for truth. I think this film also makes the point that life is more valuable when you know the truth. The main characters have no problem shooting and killing all kinds of people in the matrix even though they know that when you die in the matrix you die in the real world. That seems to suggest that life without truth is not worth living.
Works Cited: Solomon, Robert C. Introducing Philosophy a Text with Integrated Readings. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print
The Matrix. Dir. the Wachowski brothers. Perf. Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.Warner Brothers, 1999. DVD.
I believe that what the Matrix is suggesting about the nature of reality is that reality is very subjective, that what is reality for me may not be the same for everyone else. Yes, a table is probably a table for most everyone that has learned to associate the word with the object, but that is a concrete reality. The table has substance, can be seen and felt. There is also the world of the unseen, not concrete to consider. Take for example, the concept of ghosts. For most young children, they seem very real. However, most adults are probably at least somewhat skeptical about the existence of ghosts, and most probably prefer to remain ‘in the dark’ about their possible existence. One possible reason for this could be the lack of control one could feel if the world has a whole other population that is not seen. I think that the movie is suggesting that our ability to distinguish what is real from what is not is dependent upon our willingness to question the world around us. Morpheus tells Neo that the people he meets have to be considered agents, because they have not shown any signs of even noticing that their reality is a dream. I think most of us, like the people in the movie, accept the life we live without questioning it, that we just coast along, never asking ourselves what is life, what is it all about, and are we living it as well as we can. I see this all the time at work, with people who are not happy with their jobs, but will do nothing about it, preferring instead, to just go home after work, and veg out in front of the tv. The value of life in the Matrix is based solely on what, ultimately, the individual is worth to the Matrix, a source of energy and nothing more. In fact, the Matrix not only does not want anything more from the human life forms, it will go to extreme lengths to prevent individuals from interfering with the setup. Outside of the Matrix, the value of life seems just as limited, to fight as a soldier in the war against the Matrix, though those soldiers are willing to die to buy a free future for humanity.
I think The Matrix is an overall metaphor for the way our current society is organized and the varying levels of understanding that each of us possess as it relates to living inside “the matrix”. The nature of reality is not what each of us think it is. That is, what reality each of us experience is unique to each individual person. I believe though, there is a common reality to all of us collectively, a sort of plane where we all meet and begin from. Everyone lives in the matrix but many do not notice that their entire environment and their very lives are manipulated by outside sources. Some people do not understand to what extent their existence and experiences are controlled and/or manufactured for them by other individuals/groups. The Matrix illustrates how people in society believe that everything is a certain way, when in reality (or “truer” reality) things are not that way at all. Recollect the man in the street on the evening news that always exclaims, “I never thought it would happen to me”. A great number of people are unaware that they and everyone else lives in the matrix. The movie also depicts the notion of the “illusion of control”. People are free to choose. But what are people free to choose? Or, is that which people are able to choose important? Is it relevant? Is it meaningful? How about useful? If you have an endless amount of choices of anything, the correct (or more fitting) choice may be more obfuscated. In many ways, people these days have less control over their own lives. We may have more choices, but not more (or better) quality of choices. More decisions are made about everything from our laws to our food without our input. Sometimes, as is with food, we might have options of all kinds. This still may make it difficult to select what is best. Reality is shown in a rather pessimistic light consequently, as the main focus of the film is a government agency trying to capture Morpheus for terrorism and shut down his and his team’s ability to travel in and out of the matrix, or more essentially, their ability to know the truth about reality. However, to stay true to the idea of the matrix it is necessary to show reality in this manner. The matrix is a kind of control mechanism for society as a whole, a way of directing a great number of people without instructing them directly. This is a fundamental maxim in the management of dynamic civilizations. Personally, I strive to see beyond the matrix, I am always questioning. Kind of like philosophy.
The film “The Matrix” is a perfect example of the world we live in. A world where reality is distorted based on what the mind tells us to believe, and not to believe. In that sense, the character Morpheus was right when explaining “what is real” to Neo. What we see, what we smell, what we feel, the mind believes in the form of electrical signals. According to the movie, there exists something that impedes us to recognize what is real and what it’s not. It uses the concept of a computer-generated reality called the Matrix. In the world we live, I believe that something like intelligence or ignorance keeps us from perceiving reality. Intelligence, because we defy the concept seeking empirical proof to deny it. Ignorance, because sometimes we live happier if we don’t worry about certain aspects of our existence. We ask ourselves the question, “Shall I seek for the truth even if I dislike it or if it destroys me, or do I live with the lie because it’s always been that way?” The film makes a great job trying to explain the nature of reality. On the other hand, I was amazed by the use of symbolisms and religious references. Just like in Christianity where it is said the Messiah would one day return to the world, Morpheus believes Neo is The One that would end the war between man and machine.
The film the “Matrix” makes many of us wonder about life. Many of us believe that reality consists of the five senses, but when we are in a dream how do we know we are dreaming. As for the film, the world of the Matrix seemed to be real and they could experience the “world”, when in reality their brains were connected to machines. When Neo was given the choice of which pill to take, it reminded me of Plato’s theory. Neo represents the guy in the cave and the pills represent what’s out in the world. Neo decided to experience the world, even though he had no idea what he was going to find. It must be frightening to discover that the world that you thought existed was false and that there was another reality out there, but you might not know what it is. I believe that everyone can tell what is real and what isn’t, but we can’t explain it. Even though it is difficult for us to explain what is reality, we just know in our gut instinct what reality is. The Matrix made Neo and his companions realize what their reality was, even if it was in a computer world.
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The movie “The Matrix” hit on every aspect that we discussed in class. Most of us agreed that our senses determined what was real for us or not. However, in the movie all the people in the matrix were tricked into thinking they were using all their senses through eating, seeing, hearing and touching, but they were being programmed to think they were. They had never used any of their natural senses before. The machines were guiding them to think they were living their lives as they had before, only to give the humans comfort in order to keep them living to use their energy. What I found humorous was the remark made about the taste of food. How did the machines know what certain food tastes like, and maybe that’s why many meats taste like chicken. Yet, the group of people that were freed from the matrix wouldn’t be able to answer that question either, because those foods no longer existed where they were.
There was also the question of time. Morpheus only had an idea of what year it was, and there were no clocks to determine an exact time of day. They all had to rely on their bodies natural body clock to determine when they were to rest and eat. So in a sense they had to create their hours of the day. However, they could have been eating breakfast during dinner and sleeping through what would have been the day.
I found it interesting how the movie was able to use Plato’s cave theory about how if people were to ever leave the cave and everything that they thought was reality, they would want to return to the cave. The character named Cypher was not able to get use to the true reality of their lives, and made the comment, “Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill.” He was content with living in this false reality, because it was more comfortable to him than being “awake.” On the other hand, when he was making the arrangements for his new life in the matrix he wanted to make sure that life was more comfortable too. So, the reality that most of us live in isn’t necessarily the reality we want.
“The Matrix” did illustrate how powerful the mind works with our bodies. If a person died in the matrix then they would truly die outside of it as well. To lose a life that was taken out of the matrix was harder for the characters to handle, because each life was truly valuable. According to the movie, they couldn’t possibly save all the humans, only the ones that were important to the cause. When they were inside the matrix the lives were looked upon as dispensable and unimportant. I felt more sadness when one of the “naturally made” brothers were killed, because it was like killing an animal on the endangered species list. It was as if he had more value then the rest of the grown humans.
What is frustrating with the whole theory of reality is, even though some people were woken up from the matrix, was their new reality still a real reality? The question is infinite and can never be truly answered. No matter what a persons beliefs are, or what their reality is, the question still applies.
Proposition Paper # 3 “The Matrix”
The film, “The Matrix”, questions the definition of what reality is. The leading character, Neo, is brought out of a supposed surrealistic, computer-generated world onto a ship, out of the “real” world. Neo comes to terms with the “truth”, that he has been living in a world, his known reality, which as Morpheus states it, is merely “electrical signals that are interpreted by your brain”. This is known as the Matrix.
The Matrix was supposedly created by machines to control humans through a computer-generated dream world. The Matrix is not real and the “real” world is unlivable for humans.
The idea behind “The Matrix” parallels Plato’s cave description of the perception of reality. It mirrors his idea of two worlds: one being changeless and the other changing.
The illusion of reality inside the Matrix along with the fact that the human race has been denigrated to the purpose of generating energy for machines is in direct conflict with the value system that we live in daily. As I viewed the film, I mentally fought with the message of the movie, constantly trying to move back towards a homeostasis of the value system that I am accustomed to. The movie, “The Matrix”, is a surreal story dealing with perceptions of what is real and values that are preeminent in each “world”.
Reality in the movie "The Matrix" was portrayed as a computer program that generates the minds ability to percieve all senses as tangible while the brain is hooked up to the computer. The brain has no idea of what is real or not in the movie. This effects the worth of life in "The Matrix", because if you think that you are going to die while you are in "The Matrix" your senses have no clues of otherwise.
The movie “The Matrix” suggests that we as humans are blind to how the world really is. The movie suggests that we are unable to see the “real” world and we are trapped in the “matrix.” In the movie our world is smoke screen for the real world because we would not be able to cope with the real world and would most likely refuse to accept it. The real world is dark, dirty, and people fighting to survive the attacks of the machines.
In “The Matrix” the humans in are so focused on working and trying to make a perfect life without truly knowing the purpose of their lives. Everything in the “matrix” is unreal and is just an illusion to comfort humans that their lives are perfect. The reality that the humans live, according to the movie, are simply electronic impulses to the brain that makes them think something is real. These impulses blindfold them from seeing the “real” world. On the other hand, outside the “matrix” in the “real” world, there are hardly any natural humans left, people are created by machines and used as a food source. These people are suffering and trying to overcome the attacks of the machines and find themselves in constant struggle to live. In the movie the people outside the matrix is the reality, a gloom world under constant attack.
This movie suggested that most humans are living in an environment that is nonexistent a mere images and object which we want to experience. The humans in the matrix are so consumed with their own lives that they do not want to see the reality, a reality in which humans struggle to survive. In the matrix people are so busy rushing that they are blinded to the real world and do not appreciate life or their world. On the other hand the people outside the matrix in the “real” world are fighting for life and care for one another. These people are doing everything in their power to ensure that the human race survives through the difficult circumstances that they are in.
WHAT IS THE MATRIX
The film The Matrix and reality. I believe the film originated in the mind of a computer geek. This is like a computer gamer’s fantasy world of perfection. At one time I think there was a belief and still am, by some people that we are inventing a computer world that will take over what we consider the real world.
However what is created by computers is actually man made. The movie seems to make you force your belief system into believing that what you see might not actually be what’s real however what you believe is actually what is real. It pushes you to believe that there is a door to an outside or inside world that was created by man and now the machine created a mind of its own to continue to run it and man as its battery.
The reality the Matrix seems to push is that we are in a box and that if we think outside of the box we won’t just be another cog in the machine that is the world.
Could this actually be reality? It could be reality if you believe that maybe someday this might be reality. The movie actually makes you question everything. The movie almost forces you to believe that reality is not what you see but what you believe and what your mind can create.
Can we distinguish what is real and what is not? I don’t know, because the Matrix could actually be reality just one that we don’t know about yet.
I also believe that how you value life is how you value life. Even if there was or is a Matrix your value system would be the same. I believe your value system is as much as you believe and what you make of values by the things you believe.
So are the values that the movie questions really a value system or just a belief system? Is there really a difference between reality and values? I believe that the movie does not really question the value system but it does question a belief system.
Outside of the Matrix we are just a cog in a world that is a world of fate. However, inside of the Matrix your world is whatever you believe your world to be and beyond, as long as you believe. Your mind made the computer, your mind makes the computer intelligent, and your mind is the computer, which makes you the computer or the mind of the computer, which makes you in charge of all things.
So your mind will free you if you believe.
The movie ‘The Matrix’ provides much food for thought! The parallelism between Plato’s theory of comparing us to living in a cave and the reality portrayed on the movie was quite astounding. The “cave” being the reality of a person inside the matrix, the rabbit hole being the tunnel toward the outside of the cave, and “true” reality being outside of the cave or matrix. In the movie we are shown how the people inside the ‘matrix’ are living (what they think, see, feel, smell, and taste) normal, day to day lives. Actually, from outside of the matrix, their senses are being manipulated by a computer program to make them believe their daily lives are happening when they are really, in the alternate reality, being grown to feed their energy to the machines that control their thoughts. The mind is very powerful and can create feelings that shouldn’t be. While in the ‘matrix’, it was shown that if the person died in the matrix, he/she would die outside as well because “the mind makes it real”, as Morphius said. Experimenters that had results effected by the placebo affect could attest to this phenomena. This makes it very difficult to distinguish what is “real” or not.
As for the quality of life outside of the ‘matrix’, I have to agree with Cypher when he said, ”ignorance is bliss!” Many times people want so desperately to know the truth, but after they find out they wish they didn‘t. This is the same thing portrayed by Cypher when he said he wished he had taken the blue pill. True, outside the matrix you’re mind would be free, and you may be able to dodge bullets or bend a spoon with your mind, but I would rather live in a world where you wouldn’t have to. Living outside the matrix, underground and being hunted by machines, knowing that you are the only hope for the human race to repopulate and regain control and fix a scorched planet seems a little to depressing to me, I enjoy my steak and wine to much…give me the blue pill!!
The Matrix evokes a false reality. It leads us to believe that we are experiencing reality when actually we are experiencing an illusory world. Persons in the matrix are really part of a machine with electrodes connected to their brains, making them experience a dreamlike world that seems real to them, but they are actually just bodies in pods connected to electrodes. People are kept in this illusory state until they are needed to feed the machines. The idea of the matrix suggests that our senses may not be a reliable source of information when trying to distinguish what is real from what is unreal. If one is in the Matrix, his/her senses would suggest that they are experiencing reality, say going to school or visiting with friends, when actually they are just bodies in a pod with electrodes connected to their head making them feel as though they are really doing the things they experience to be real. There is no indication within the experience world of the matrix to suggest that reality is other than what they experience. Those who are able to escape from the Matrix find themselves in a world that they did not know was there, but once they are out of the Matrix they can distinguish the real world from the illusory world of the Matrix. The Matrix idea suggests that our entire perception and experience of the world could be illusory for all we know – how can we know whether we are plugged into the Matrix or not from all of our experiences and perception? The Matrix movie suggests that it is better to experience reality than to be trapped in an illusory world, based on Neo’s quest to rescue people from the Matrix. Neo wanted to free the people from the Matrix because he felt it would be best for people to live a real life, instead of an illusory one.
In the movie the “Matrix” reality is perceived by humans and there is no difference between real and not real. Everything is controlled by the mind. The people that seemed to be in the real world were depending on technology. In class when we had the group discussion, it made me wonder what is really real. How do I know that I’m not dreaming? Our mind plays a great role in our senses. If we really emphasize on something, it seems that our mind believes it. I have noticed that many people take for granted what the real significance of life means. We depend too much on our technology. We believe that without it we can’t get anywhere.
After class I started to think about what “The Matrix” really means. According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary the word “Matrix” means, “something within or from which something else originates, develops or takes form.” This definition follows the plot of the movie well. As far as we could tell Neo’s life began in the Matrix. The Matrix was his reality, and at some point he began to question the validity of this. The movie plays on the idea that most of us are searching for something, that there is some unanswered question that drives us as humans. Morpheus gives Neo the chance to see life from a different perspective believing he is ready to discover this new reality. This idea supports Plato’s cave theory. If what we see is not all that is there then how and when would we be ready to know the truth.
In the film "The Matrix" the nature of reality is really examined. As soon as the audience starts to figure out what is going on one of the main characters, Morpheus asks the main protagonist, Neo, “What is real? How do you define “real”?” Morpheus went on to sum up one of the ways we describe reality pretty well when he said, “If you’re talking about what you can feel… what you can smell, taste and see… then “real” is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Right away Neo is asked to believe that everything in his life until that point only existed in a dream world and he is only now awakening to reality. Neo even asks why his eyes hurt and Morpheus tells him that it’s because he has never used them before. I am reminded of what Plato said about the man being dragged from the cave in The Republic. He said “Consider then what deliverance from their bonds and the curing of their ignorance would be if something like this naturally happened to them. Whenever one of them was freed, had to stand up suddenly, turn his head, walk, and look up toward the light, doing all that would give him pain, the flash of the fire would make it impossible for him to see…” Neo must have felt like the man Plato spoke of being dragged from the cave of his accepted reality into the overwhelmingly bright light of the really real and true. Imagine being told the world you know exists only as part of a neural-interactive simulation called “the matrix”. I can understand why a person would fight finding out the truth although their world is nothing but an illusion. I can also understand why the character Cipher would want to be reinserted back into the matrix. I think a comfortable dream world would be a lot more appealing to some people than a harsh and challenging reality. Maybe that has something to do with why it is so hard to know real truth, because the truth can be very painful.
I think this film points out that our ability to know what is real and what isn’t is not very good, especially if we aren’t questioning the world around us and looking for answers. Neo wouldn’t have been freed if he did not question his world or if he just accepted his reality. Knowing truth requires searching for truth. I think this film also makes the point that life is more valuable when you know the truth. The main characters have no problem shooting and killing all kinds of people in the matrix even though they know that when you die in the matrix you die in the real world. That seems to suggest that life without truth is not worth living.
Works Cited:
Solomon, Robert C. Introducing Philosophy a Text with Integrated Readings. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print
The Matrix. Dir. the Wachowski brothers. Perf. Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.Warner Brothers, 1999. DVD.
I believe that what the Matrix is suggesting about the nature of reality is that reality is very subjective, that what is reality for me may not be the same for everyone else. Yes, a table is probably a table for most everyone that has learned to associate the word with the object, but that is a concrete reality. The table has substance, can be seen and felt. There is also the world of the unseen, not concrete to consider. Take for example, the concept of ghosts. For most young children, they seem very real. However, most adults are probably at least somewhat skeptical about the existence of ghosts, and most probably prefer to remain ‘in the dark’ about their possible existence. One possible reason for this could be the lack of control one could feel if the world has a whole other population that is not seen.
I think that the movie is suggesting that our ability to distinguish what is real from what is not is dependent upon our willingness to question the world around us. Morpheus tells Neo that the people he meets have to be considered agents, because they have not shown any signs of even noticing that their reality is a dream. I think most of us, like the people in the movie, accept the life we live without questioning it, that we just coast along, never asking ourselves what is life, what is it all about, and are we living it as well as we can. I see this all the time at work, with people who are not happy with their jobs, but will do nothing about it, preferring instead, to just go home after work, and veg out in front of the tv.
The value of life in the Matrix is based solely on what, ultimately, the individual is worth to the Matrix, a source of energy and nothing more. In fact, the Matrix not only does not want anything more from the human life forms, it will go to extreme lengths to prevent individuals from interfering with the setup. Outside of the Matrix, the value of life seems just as limited, to fight as a soldier in the war against the Matrix, though those soldiers are willing to die to buy a free future for humanity.
I think The Matrix is an overall metaphor for the way our current society is organized and the varying levels of understanding that each of us possess as it relates to living inside “the matrix”.
The nature of reality is not what each of us think it is. That is, what reality each of us experience is unique to each individual person. I believe though, there is a common reality to all of us collectively, a sort of plane where we all meet and begin from.
Everyone lives in the matrix but many do not notice that their entire environment and their very lives are manipulated by outside sources. Some people do not understand to what extent their existence and experiences are controlled and/or manufactured for them by other individuals/groups.
The Matrix illustrates how people in society believe that everything is a certain way, when in reality (or “truer” reality) things are not that way at all. Recollect the man in the street on the evening news that always exclaims, “I never thought it would happen to me”.
A great number of people are unaware that they and everyone else lives in the matrix. The movie also depicts the notion of the “illusion of control”.
People are free to choose. But what are people free to choose? Or, is that which people are able to choose important? Is it relevant? Is it meaningful? How about useful? If you have an endless amount of choices of anything, the correct (or more fitting) choice may be more obfuscated. In many ways, people these days have less control over their own lives. We may have more choices, but not more (or better) quality of choices. More decisions are made about everything from our laws to our food without our input. Sometimes, as is with food, we might have options of all kinds. This still may make it difficult to select what is best.
Reality is shown in a rather pessimistic light consequently, as the main focus of the film is a government agency trying to capture Morpheus for terrorism and shut down his and his team’s ability to travel in and out of the matrix, or more essentially, their ability to know the truth about reality. However, to stay true to the idea of the matrix it is necessary to show reality in this manner.
The matrix is a kind of control mechanism for society as a whole, a way of directing a great number of people without instructing them directly. This is a fundamental maxim in the management of dynamic civilizations. Personally, I strive to see beyond the matrix, I am always questioning. Kind of like philosophy.
The film “The Matrix” is a perfect example of the world we live in. A world where reality is distorted based on what the mind tells us to believe, and not to believe. In that sense, the character Morpheus was right when explaining “what is real” to Neo. What we see, what we smell, what we feel, the mind believes in the form of electrical signals. According to the movie, there exists something that impedes us to recognize what is real and what it’s not. It uses the concept of a computer-generated reality called the Matrix. In the world we live, I believe that something like intelligence or ignorance keeps us from perceiving reality. Intelligence, because we defy the concept seeking empirical proof to deny it. Ignorance, because sometimes we live happier if we don’t worry about certain aspects of our existence. We ask ourselves the question, “Shall I seek for the truth even if I dislike it or if it destroys me, or do I live with the lie because it’s always been that way?” The film makes a great job trying to explain the nature of reality. On the other hand, I was amazed by the use of symbolisms and religious references. Just like in Christianity where it is said the Messiah would one day return to the world, Morpheus believes Neo is The One that would end the war between man and machine.
The film the “Matrix” makes many of us wonder about life. Many of us believe that reality consists of the five senses, but when we are in a dream how do we know we are dreaming. As for the film, the world of the Matrix seemed to be real and they could experience the “world”, when in reality their brains were connected to machines. When Neo was given the choice of which pill to take, it reminded me of Plato’s theory. Neo represents the guy in the cave and the pills represent what’s out in the world. Neo decided to experience the world, even though he had no idea what he was going to find. It must be frightening to discover that the world that you thought existed was false and that there was another reality out there, but you might not know what it is. I believe that everyone can tell what is real and what isn’t, but we can’t explain it. Even though it is difficult for us to explain what is reality, we just know in our gut instinct what reality is. The Matrix made Neo and his companions realize what their reality was, even if it was in a computer world.
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