Analysis Of Cartesian Themes In The Matrix
Set forth and describe three scenes from The Matrix that illustrate Cartesian themes. Early in the movie, Neo pulls a book off of a shelf, Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulations, and opens it to reveal that it contains electronic contraband. In an instant, the directors ask us to consider his work. It completely avoids asking the logical question that follows after finding out that all of 1999 is an illusion: How are we to determine the truth or reality of any experience? The moment we believe that our senses are untrue, we can never fully trust them again. The Cartesian advice that fits this scenes is: “it is the mark of prudence never to place our complete trust in those who have deceived us even once.” (Descartes 60) With The Matrix being
the biggest lie of all, how can we ever trust our senses again? In another famous scene, Neo is asked to choose between the red pill and the blue pill. The red pill allows the person who takes it to become aware of the true nature of the matrix. The blue pill helps you forget your whole ordeal with Morpheus and you go back to believing in the Matrix and living an ordinary life. As Morpheus says, "You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." Neo stands on the verge of satori (a Japanese Buddhist term that means “seeing ones true nature” (Kapleau, Phillip)), ready to resolve the paradox of choice and choicelessness, free will versus fate, but that can only be achieved through an act of surrender, which occurs after an desertion of the perspective nature of
the biggest lie of all, how can we ever trust our senses again? In another famous scene, Neo is asked to choose between the red pill and the blue pill. The red pill allows the person who takes it to become aware of the true nature of the matrix. The blue pill helps you forget your whole ordeal with Morpheus and you go back to believing in the Matrix and living an ordinary life. As Morpheus says, "You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." Neo stands on the verge of satori (a Japanese Buddhist term that means “seeing ones true nature” (Kapleau, Phillip)), ready to resolve the paradox of choice and choicelessness, free will versus fate, but that can only be achieved through an act of surrender, which occurs after an desertion of the perspective nature of