1.

After reading the synopsis from the Matrix, Platos The

Republic(The Allegory of the Cave),and Descartes Meditation I,I
see that there are some similarities as well as differences. I would
have to say that The Matrix and Platos cave allegory were more
similar because the people involved in both stories, they were
living in a world where they were being deceived about what the
truth was. In the Matrix, once Neo saw the real world and that
everything he thought was real was actually an illusion, is very
similar to the shadows on the walls of the cave that the prisoners
were seeing in Platos Allegory of the cave. In both stories both
characters were able to experience the fake world and reality and
were given the chance to see the truth and were confused.
However, the prisoner in Platos story after gaining this new
knowledge let others in bondage know of his new found
knowledge but felt that the first truth was easier to except. On the
other hand Neo in The Matrix decided he wanted to learn what the
real truth was. Both characters were interested in find out the truth
but they accepted the truth differently. Plato thought it was
necessary for the chained man in the Allegory of the Cave needed
to escape from the cave to seek the truth.
However, Descartes, in Meditations I raises the question how
could he know with certainty that the world he lived in wasnt an
illusion forced upon him by a demon. He poses this question
because he said he believes what he dreams so how can he trust his
senses to let him know when he is not dreaming. Descartes
believes that you cannot trust your senses for truth. Like in the
Matrix, the people that were plugged in had no idea that what they
were sensing was not true....

2. Plato, Descartes, and The Matrix
As human beings it is difficult to understand life form, creation, and divinity. There are
no specific answers that may satisfy the criteria for everyone. It is just difficult for the
human mind to fully understand due to the diversity of beliefs one holds; being a skeptic
is all we have. How can we justify our beliefs? Do we have a good reason to believe in
what we do? It is normal to have a skeptical mindset when everything is
questionable. Just as the great philosophers did in their search for knowledge to
reanalyze and obtain a better view of their beliefs. To better understand we will discuss
The Allegory of the Cave by Socrates, the excerpt from Rene Descartes, Meditation on
First Philosophy, 1641; and the synopsis of the movie: The Matrix. We will compare
and contrast the different scenarios and information of all three sources to make up our
own analysis of reality and knowledge.
The similarities in these three scenarios are obvious. Descartes, in the Meditation on First
Philosophy, 1641 and Neo, in The Matrix, started feeling skeptical about life, questioning
life itself. They faced doubts about the reality of what they were seeing, skeptical of the
reliability of their senses. Thinking that they were facing the possibility of a dream and
not reality, they believed that they were unconsciously living manipulated by
deception. Socrates, in the Allegory of the Cave, is not any different from Descartes
and Neo who felt attached to a mastermind that computed or manipulated what it wanted
them to do and see. Socrates describes these beings attached to the walls of a cave
having their legs and necks fettered from childhood unable to move their heads, but only
seeing what they were set or allowed to see, shadows cast on the wall from the figures
passing in front of the light behind and above them (Socrates, The Allegory of the
Cave). Just as Neo faced the same by being attached to the matrix, manipulating his...

3. Modern American philosopher; Hilary Putmans thought experiment called the Brain
in the Vat, emphasizes a persons brain placed inside a container filled with fluids and the
fluids is an aid to preserving the brain. Wires are connected to the brain senses (vision,
smell, hearing, taste and touch) using electronic impulses that is attached to a
computer. Sense information is imputed to the brain from the computer by a computer
network administrator. For example, information telling the brain, You are running in
Italy, and you smell pizza. The brain perceives this information as reality. The movie
The Matrix is based on the Brain in the Vat. The Matrix, Rene Descartes, Meditation I
Of The Things Of Which We May Doubt and Platos, The Allegory of the Cave, all
hold similarities to the Brain in the Vat; therefore they hold similarities to each
other. Although they hold similarities to each other there are also some differences
between these three reasons.
The similarities between the movie The Matrix, Platos cave analogy and Descartes
Meditation I are that they questioned what they knew to be their worldwhether it was
reality or a dream; they each wanted to leave what they knew to be their world or reality
to discover what they individually sensed to be a true reality. They are equivalent in that
their perception of the real world started during each ones childhood. In The Matrix,
Neo is controlled by a simulated computer system. In Platos cave the prisoners are
controlled by mankind. Descartes is controlled by his false perceptions of evil demons.
In The Matrix, the movie ends with Neo declaring his determination to share
with the people the truth about The Matrix and them living in a true world on their own
apart from control. Plato deliberates on the effect the cave leaves on one of the
prisoners after he escapes the chains and departs the cave. The prisoners eyes after
remaining enclosed in a dim lilted room since childhood, his eyes have to adjust to the
bright sunlight. Once his eyes are adjusted, he considers a creator for the total of his
observations. He reflects on the life once lived in chains since childhood, but unlike Neo
who goes back to help the people in bondage, Plato ends with the prisoner considering his
own happiness and pitying his colleagues. There is a question left of whether the once
prisoner return to offer help to his colleagues in bondage. Descartes perception of the real
world is that the totality of the world is all false and evil demons are deceiving him. Both
Descartes and The Matrix make mentions of possibly being in a dream state, but not
Platoits a puppet show.

As children we are all raised on others (parents, teachers, family, clergy, associates, etc.)
instruction, education, training, doctrine, skills, rules, ideas and/or habits. When we
become young adult and speaking from experience, we began to question if those
instructions, training, rules, doctrines, etc. were correct and truthful. Some people
become so familiarized, comfortable and tolerant with their state of being they do not
seek change. Just like Cypher in The Matrix, knowledge to him was a burden. There are
people that see change as a burden, not betterment. They may see it as betterment, but
they are unresolved to put forth the effort to better them. Then there are those like Platos
prisoner in the cave that will break loss from the chains of bondage, ask questions and
crossover the boundaries to educate themselves with the truth for betterment.

References

Mark Foreman. Philosophy 201. Presentation: The Challenge of Skepticism.


After reading the three readings, I can see some similarity and differences between the
readings from the philosophers. Comparing the Matrix and Platos, the similarity is they
both agree that the life we are experiencing is not as real as what it appears to be. It is
simply an illusion and a life that we can question and doubt about.

From Matrixs story this happens when Neo the hacker had a dream that made him
think about the reality and the thought that there is something more to life. When
Morpheus came and told him that the world is an illusion, an elaborate system of
deception perpetrated to keep people contentedly under control (Wachowski &
Wachowski, 1999). Neo then choose to eat the pill and see the truth that the human race
is only relying on a machine to keep their bodies alive. Human beings are actually
unconscious, therefore they are controlled by the machine. Because of this, what we see
or do today happens because we are programmed into a computer simulation called
Matrix.

From Platos allegory, we see it when Socrates described mens nature being as prisoners
since childhood; being chained inside a cavern not being able to move their heads, but
only looking. When one of the prisoners was released and was given the opportunity to
see the light; and guided with what was going on. The human being that has seen the light
will think what he had seen before was all a cheat and an illusion. He will then want to
turn toward real things (Plato). He suggests that life or reality to be nothing else than
the shadows of the artificial objects.

From Descartes reading, we see that he believed the notion of nothing is for certain in
this world. When he was old and retired he began to question and doubt all his
knowledge he had received through his lifetime. He started doubting his senses that turns
out to be unreliable because it is possible for senses to be wrong. Afterwards he doubted
reason, it turns out to be incorrect sometimes and at the end his dream. Eventually he
could not differentiate the difference of reality and dream. Descartes also experienced
being deceived in sleep by similar illusions until he perceive so clearly that there exist
no certain marks by which the state of waking can ever be distinguished from sleep
(Descartes, 1641). Therefore, in other words reality and dream are merely illusions as
well.

One of the most significant difference from these three readings I think is the reaction
that the people made or took after knowing that all of lifes experience is just an illusion;

From Matrixs story, Cypher one of the member that betrays Morpheus choose to live in
the made up computer-controlled world of Matrix because he cannot deal with knowing
the truth. He thinks the knowledge is a burden so he decided to ignore the truth and
believed the phrase ignorance is bliss.

From Platos allegory, Socrates believed that after knowing that their life is just an
illusion and there is something more out there made almost all men curious and want to
escape from their state of being in the cavern. Men would think knowing the truth and its
reality would make them know more about the world around them. Even though
sometimes it may be harsh, humans would still prefer to see the light.

From Descartes reading, after men doubt everything and see everything as dream or
merely an illusion, men would think there are no certain truths at all. After all the
doubting and making hypothesis about almost everything humans would think there is no
certain knowledge about anything.

As for my personal opinion, I think I would go with Socrates opinion because knowing
reality is better than ignoring. Even though not knowing things can sometimes make a
person care less, I believe life is a challenge and no one can expect to live life happy
everyday. Therefore I believe one should know the reality of life even though it is harsh.
For me I cannot one hundred percent say the world Im experiencing is real, but I know
the world is created by God for mankind to live, subdue the earth and make disciples of
all nations. I know I am living today in this earth because throughout my childhood I rely
on my senses and perception to learn. Even though sometimes they may be wrong, most
of the times they have helped me acquire knowledge and make sense of the world around
me.

Works Cited

Descartes, R. (1641). Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt. Meditations
on First Philosophy.

Plato. (n.d.). The Allegory of the Cave. In The Republic (p. Book VII).

Wachowski, A., & Wachowski, L. (Directors). (1999). The Matrix [Motion Picture].





Morpheuss question in The Matrix underscores this point: Have you ever had a dream,
Neo, that you were so sure it was real? What if you were unable to wake from that
dream--how would you know the difference between the dream world and the real
world?