Matrix: Dream or Evil Demon (Descartes)
Evil Demon vs. Dream
In the movie The Matrix the image of Neo waking up introduces us to the main character. The point of such awakening is to put the viewers under the impression that Thomas Anderson is in fact not dreaming, and back to the real world. Then, after he goes out clubbing, he finds himself turning off his alarm, waking up again. However, no scene in which Neo physically goes to bed exists in the film. Also, the movie builds an unreal environment around the main character. After reading René Descartes’ Meditations on Philosophy, one can find him- or herself debating whether Neo is dreaming or being deceived by an evil demon. Although there is evidence present for both of these possibilities, and we cannot be metaphysically certain of one or the other, the one in favor of Neo drifting away in the dream world seems to be much more dominant and clear through the dialogue, the lighting and other editorial aspects of the movie. Primarily, Agent Smith mentions the fact that Neo has “been living two lives”. Of course, this statement can be easily interpreted as an implication of some con art Neo has been a part of (and yes, he does seem to have two separate identities before Morpheus “recruits” him). However, Agent Smith’s words should also be considered very likely to be an indication of the fact that Neo has been dreaming. A connection can be drawn between this scene and Descartes’ claim saying that “there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep” through the fact that Neo does wake up twice in the very beginning of the movie, and yet we do not see him falling asleep (Descartes 13). This creates confusion concerning whether or not Neo is dreaming and “only reinforces the notion that [he] may be asleep” due to the fact that the audience becomes lost while trying to trace Neo’s state of consciousness. Another piece of evidence supporting the fact that Neo’s mind functions in the state of sleep lays in
In the movie The Matrix the image of Neo waking up introduces us to the main character. The point of such awakening is to put the viewers under the impression that Thomas Anderson is in fact not dreaming, and back to the real world. Then, after he goes out clubbing, he finds himself turning off his alarm, waking up again. However, no scene in which Neo physically goes to bed exists in the film. Also, the movie builds an unreal environment around the main character. After reading René Descartes’ Meditations on Philosophy, one can find him- or herself debating whether Neo is dreaming or being deceived by an evil demon. Although there is evidence present for both of these possibilities, and we cannot be metaphysically certain of one or the other, the one in favor of Neo drifting away in the dream world seems to be much more dominant and clear through the dialogue, the lighting and other editorial aspects of the movie. Primarily, Agent Smith mentions the fact that Neo has “been living two lives”. Of course, this statement can be easily interpreted as an implication of some con art Neo has been a part of (and yes, he does seem to have two separate identities before Morpheus “recruits” him). However, Agent Smith’s words should also be considered very likely to be an indication of the fact that Neo has been dreaming. A connection can be drawn between this scene and Descartes’ claim saying that “there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep” through the fact that Neo does wake up twice in the very beginning of the movie, and yet we do not see him falling asleep (Descartes 13). This creates confusion concerning whether or not Neo is dreaming and “only reinforces the notion that [he] may be asleep” due to the fact that the audience becomes lost while trying to trace Neo’s state of consciousness. Another piece of evidence supporting the fact that Neo’s mind functions in the state of sleep lays in
Cited: Descartes, René, and John Cottingham. Meditations on First Philosophy: With Selections from the Objections and Replies. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print. The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss. 1999. Schacter, Daniel, Daniel Gilbert, and Daniel Wegner. Psychology. 2nd ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.