Words: 1596
The 1 999 film titled The Matrix is very similar to Plat’s cave. Billions upon billions of people unknowingly live out their lives in a virtual reality. They too would find it difficult to accept any other reality. Consequently, both stories parallel each other in attempt to make the audience question their senses and reality. Those who exist in Plat’s cave are prisoners. They are born prisoners and they die as prisoners. However, they are entertained and occupied by shadows of objects cast by the puppeteers. This is a poor conception of the true reality, but the prisoners accept it and depend on it.
The puppeteers are human, but it is unclear why they want to deceive or even keep the prisoners. One idea suggests that, metaphorically speaking is “They are us,” explains Socrates, meaning that the reason why the prisoners do not realize that they are held captive is because they are their own prisoners. Still, each hears and recognizes sounds and shapes of shadows. They believe that the two dimensional world they perceive is the whole reality, but they do not know that shadows have a source and the sounds they gear are not created by the shadows, but instead by the puppeteers behind them.
To compare, how does the real world today know that a chair is a chair or the smell food is supposed to be that smell? How does one know whether they are being deceived or not? If another reality exists, how could one escape their current reality to realize an alternate truth? This is what Plato wanted his audience to question. The Matrix wants the same goal from its audience, but is also of course, a source of entertainment for today’s world. Those who reside in the Matrix are just like those set in Plat’s cave.
The only difference is that the world of the Matrix is an accurate, three dimensional reality instead Of a simple dark cave with echoing sounds. The Matrix reality is more like the modern reality. Yet, hose that exist in the Matrix do not realize they are being controlled by Artificial Intelligence, which humans had created many years ago. The robots, which man had made, rose up against humans, which eventually led to war. In an attempt to succeed, man blackened the sky knowing that the robots’ main energy source was the sun. Desperate to survive, the robots learned that humans were an endless supply of energy.
They won the war and began testing on man. Eventually humans were no longer born, they became harvested. In order to keep them unknown of the true reality that exists In that moment, the Matrix was born. Many would not realize that the world they live in was actually a virtual reality universe controlled by artificial intelligence, the puppeteers. Eventually, Plato begins to question what would come to pass if one man was brought out of the Cave into the real reality. How would he escape? Why would he want to leave if he is happy with his current reality?
Plato answers this by another man who was once a prisoner of the Cave coming back and forcing another man into the light. As the man exits the cave, he is brought into an immensely bright light. The light pains his eyes. Only by looking back o the Cave, into the darkness, will his pain subside. The light is so immense and bright that he is blinded. These new three-dimensional objects he has never seen before confuse him. Because of his current condition, he wants to return to his old reality that he can understand and cannot accept his new, confusing reality.
Eventually his blindness and pain gradually fade as he begins to understand the Cave was an ill reality and finds living in the light is better. “First he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; he will gaze upon he light of the moon and stars… And he will see the sky and stars by night… [Then] he will be able to see the sun … He will see him in his own proper place and not in another” (In 22-28) He has been enlightened. He will want to live in his new reality and “endure anything, rather than think as [those in the Cave] do and live after their manner. Now that he gained new knowledge of the true reality, he cannot go back to the old reality he had once known. Apply these ideas to today. What reality would be better than this reality? Many would answer Heaven, or any other perfect after-life. But what if the alternate reality is worse off than the one they had known before? Knowing the truth, one could not return with the new knowledge permanently or even tell others of the alternate universe without endangering themselves. But they still would want to return to the better reality, the Matrix.
The Matrix entertains these ideas. Neo, who is the savior of the Matrix, is brought out of it by Morpheme a believer in a prophesy and a leader of his ship and crew, the Nebuchadnezzar. Unlike Plat’s man, Neo leaves willingly. Yet he still suffers the pain in his eyes and blurred distorted vision. When Neo iris enters the real world, he finds himself in a pod filled with fluid. His entire body carries outlets, which large wires connect to. The largest wire is attached to the back of his head to control his senses while in the Matrix.
These wires represent Plat’s chains. As Neo sits up, he is finally able to turn his head and see the truth. He is surrounded by billions of pods just like his; all those contain humans who are in the Matrix. Neo then sees a large, intimidating robot that flies to him, examines him, and then leaves. Neo is released from his wires and slides to a pool of water where the Nebuchadnezzar picks him p. A bright immense light shines, blinding him, as he ascends towards the ship. His vision is blurred and he collapses. Afterwards, Morpheme explains the true world’s history.
Neo goes into denial and faints. Later, he accepts the reality and realizes he can’t return to live in the Matrix. Though the Matrix is a better world then Plat’s cave, both Neo and Plat’s man cannot go back to stay since both are now enlightened to the truth. But if they did return, knowing that they can’t stay, for what reason would they go? Plato answers this by saying the man would return to tell his previous fellow rissoles about the real, true world. Yet his eyes would be full of darkness since he is adjusted to the light and his peers would call him insane. Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending. ” If the man or any other man attempted to bring a peer to the light, they would kill him. Instead, they would rather stay in the place they know, even when chained down. Yet the chains that hold the men down are not physically there, but mentally. Any one of the men could leave if he pleased to, it seems. But they believe so apple in their existence that they cannot leave. This questions one’s existence and the existence of objects that surround him.
In a reality in question: if one is tied down for whatever reason, and he deeply believes that his chains do not exist, could he simply release himself with ease? Stories Of those with telekinetic powers are those who may have truly existed. They knew that the objects that they moved or bent did not really exist, but were simply a state of mind; part of one’s senses. Neo uses this information and is able to bend and break the laws of physics in the Matrix. He dodges and stops bullets, flies, jumps skyscrapers, and moves at super high speeds.
He knows the Matrix is not real and his senses are simply being fooled. In this way, he can do almost anything while in the Matrix. Neo also returns to the Matrix to save everyone from it. Though he doesn’t directly tell the population of the real world, but he and his crew find those who feel the world they live in is not right. Yet some are so dependable on the Matrix that they will defend it at all costs. Cipher, a crew member of the Nebuchadnezzar, and others like him feel that the Matrix is much better if than the real world.
Even after living in the real world for seven years, Cipher has not yet adjusted to the light. He says, “l think the Matrix can be more real than this world. ” In a grand effort to return, he betrays and kills some of his crew members. Both The Matrix and “The Allegory of the Cave” correspond to each other in many ways. As their plots continue, each show an example of philosophical thinking that urges the audience to question their senses and place in reality. Though The Matrix may have used Plat’s Cave to help create its plot, it too does share the same quality.