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Descartes And The Matrix Comparison Essay

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Descartes And The Matrix Comparison Essay
The movie the matrix and the writings of Plato and Descartes share many similar theories on knowledge and being absolute certain about something. For instance, in the movie the Matrix Neo has no clue that everything he is experiencing is a dream. But when he is told the truth his knowledge grows which is exactly what Plato proclaims in his writing to the republic. He claims that as the prisoners who have been chained in the cave since childhood begin to ascend their knowledge expands. And in Descartes writing the meditation he begins to realize that things are not what they seem. The thing he thought he once knew he is learning are not true. So all in all the three share the concept that as you learn the actual truth your knowledge doesn’t regress but grows.
Where the matrix resembles these writings greatly it seems it was more inspired than thought of by the creators. Plato uses prisoners who have been chained all of their lives and can only see shadows from the light that reflects from the fire. But explains that when they are first allowed out of the cave they feel physical pain from the new movement and the brightness of the sun. And when they first ascend from the cave they will quickly want to return to it because they don’t believe that what they are experiencing is real it is …show more content…
Just like the matrix and the republic, the meditator begins to question is anything he thought he knew real or not. Unlike the other stories the meditator comes to the conclusion that he exists due to his perception. But then wrestles with the thought that he may be wrong and needs to first be sure that God is real and that He is not deceiving him. The meditator looks to God for answers to his questions. And once he is sure of God, God then assures him of his existence. That’s when the meditator realizes that because God is real this makes him real because the body is an extension of
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