The Matrix And Free Will Essay

Inside and outside of the matrix Neo is faced with many choices, points in the film when he could continue in one way but chooses to change his direction and go in another. These decisions are examples of free will within the text. Free will is defined as the ability to make one's own decisions to alter the path one is on. On the contrary, destiny portrays the notion of not being able to make choices but rather certain events transpiring no matter the outside influences. The position associated with destiny, although a good one has one major flaw and that resides within the oracle scene. The existence of free will within the text is far more integral for the progression of the story line than destiny is. Of the two themes inside the film, free will and destiny, Neo displays the first most prominently throughout his journey. Neo possesses free will because he makes the decisions to follow the white rabbit, to take the red pill, and to go back into the matrix to save his leader Morpheus. The first choice that Neo makes is the choice to follow the white rabbit. Neo had known for years that something wasn’t right with the world, but he
The above three are the ones that altered his path in the most significant ways. The decisions Neo makes are what leads him into the world of reality or essentially enlightenment. Like one of the essays about the matrix said, “proper teaching only occurs when students are prepared to make discoveries for themselves.” With this applied to Neo, he could get all the help he could want to become enlightened, but if he doesn’t make the conscious effort and choices to bring him to where he wants, it wouldn’t be possible. Free will is what sets the human race apart from other species, as other animals are merely meat robots controlled by their genetics. Neo, being much more than a meat robot, is able to control and alter his own path; nothing is written out for