Matrix on the Cave

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the parallel between Andy and Larry Wachowski's movie "The Matrix," in which there are two very different, yet very real worlds, and Book VII from Plato's "The Republic." The paper points out that through the allegory of the cave, Plato explained his theory of reality, proving that what mankind perceived were shadows, products of ideal figures that existed beyond everything. According to Plato, any knowledge gained from the world of senses was flawed and imperfect , while real knowledge was only accomplished via the world of ideas, by means of reason. Plato's allegory emphasizes the two distinct worlds, both outside and inside the cave. The paper asserts that the common thread between "The Matrix" and this cave allegory is that both examine the duality of knowledge and ignorance, of reality and perception. The paper claims that in the matrix allegory, our lives are like computerized programs, in which all that we have, think and possess does not exist. The paper concludes that true reality remains outside and, with the help of a good master, someday we might reach it.

From the Paper:

"According to Plato's perspective, in the beginning of life, the human soul lacks knowledge. When man is inside the cave, he is ignorant of passion, fear and prejudice. In the first phase, the shadows of the cave are the vague ideas that we have of ourselves. Neo, the principal character of "The Matrix," takes a pill that transports him inside the Matrix where he discovers the fictitious world in which he was living. Neo learns that the memories of his life were merely the vague ideas that he had of himself, and he questions what is real and unreal at one moment in time. For example, right before entering a restaurant that claimed it had the best pasta dishes, Neo ate a white pasta in the spacecraft that could have been any type of food. In this manner, the ideas that Neo had about this false fictitious world, the Matrix, echo that of the prisoners in the cave of The Republic. This place in which common people live--where human beings exist until they acquire knowledge--is difficult to comprehend. Even Neo could not fully grasp the nature of his false universe until Morfeo helped him to understand everything that was going on around him."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Encyclopedia Encarta 98.
• Encyclopedia Encarta 2002.
• Wilhelm Capelle ; Historia de la filosofia Griega, Madrid 1972, Editorial Gredos.
• http://www.agnostica.com.ar/cultocinematrix.htm
• http://club.telepolis.com/anapiru/peplum.htm

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• Analytical Essay # 3675 : "The Republic" by Plato and the Movie "The Matrix"
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• Comparison Essay # 62933 : "Fantasy and Reality"

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