I believe, contrary to Dr. Pryor, that it is the personal belief that matters, that counts as the actual truth. There might be a real “truth,” but that truth is so insignificant to our personal lives that it might as well not exist. Foremost, my definition of truth is something that one can whole-heartedly believe in. So an objective fact that no one might actually know does not count as a “truth.” It is our own personal beliefs that we can actually know, that we can actually consider true, that we can actually believe and therefore act upon.
For example, the question of whether God exists is a common point of discussion. Dr. Pryor would argue that it doesn’t matter whether one believes God exists or not, for there is an objective fact on the issue, but no one knows the answer. However, I believe the truth lies within the individual. If someone truly believes in God, then God exists, at least for that one individual. It is the personal belief that is the truth, because that is the truth that directly affects people, not some objective fact that no one knows.
Others might argue that if the truth cannot depend on the individual, then a truth does not exist. However, I believe that “truth” is not a solid entity and that for each issue only one truth exists. I believe that truth is an abstract concept that indicates something one believes one knows. Truth therefore depends on the individual.
Regardless, Dr. Pryor’s idea does relate to Morpheus’ statement. Morpheus claims that truth is not determined by one’s senses. Similarly, Dr. Pryor argues that better evidence does not consecrate truth. Therefore, the two are arguing that even if our senses seem to point to a possible fact, they are not sufficient in clearly determining the truth. However, I believe that if a person takes their senses as being trustworthy, then he or she can consider what information he or she gains as truth. Again, the main measurement of truth is whether one personally believes in it or not.
Finally, Dr. Pryor’s idea is also compatible with the themes of The Matrix. The Matrix assumes that there is an objective truth, for Neo and his supporters assume that their world is “real” and that the Matrix is false. Also, the Oracle shows that personal belief is not important, and that an objective truth exists. For instance, she told Neo that he was not the One, so he believed so. This leads to him deciding to go back into the Matrix and save Morpheus, where he displays unintentionally that he is the One. Therefore, The Matrix argues that personal belief does not matter, for Neo was the One all along, despite the fact that he did not believe so at first.
It is impossible for people to draw up a consensus on the definition for truth. However, I disagree with Dr. Pryor’s idea of truth for I believe that truth depends solely on the individual. But his idea does have merit, and many aspects of it resonate throughout The Matrix.