Neo finally escapes from the matrix and joins those who woke him and becomes an integral part of the resistance. Through building awareness and choice, Neo awakens his potential and is able to overcome the seemingly invincible enemy.
COULD IT BE REAL?
This section refers to the possibilities of the matrix reality to be the truth. This opinion in supported by similar stories crafted before the 1999’s movie “The matrix” as well from the modern object oriented high-level programming languages,
PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE AND THE MATRIX
Imagine human beings living in an underground, cave like dwelling, with an entrance a long way up, which is both open to the light and as wide as the cave itself. They’ve been there since childhood, fixed in the same place, with their necks and legs fettered, able to see only in front of them, because their bonds prevent them from turning their heads around. Light is provided by a fire burning far above and behind them. Also behind them, but on higher ground, there is a path stretching between them and the fire. Imagine that along this path a low wall has been built, like the screen in front of puppeteers above which they show their puppets . . . Then also imagine that there are people along the wall, carrying all kinds of artifacts that project above it—statues of people and other animals, made out of stone, wood, and every material. And, as you’d expect, some of the carriers are talking, and some are silent. The humans to whom we will refer as the prisoners for this report can not see the actual objects or the puppet-makers because they are unable to turn their heads. From childhood, "...their legs and necks [have been] in bonds so that they are fixed, seeing only [what is] in front of them The above description is transparently connected to the movie “The matrix” although is drawn from an image crafted almost twenty-four hundred years ago by the Greek philosopher, Plato in his most influential work “REPUBLIC", BOOK VII “The Allegory Of The Cave”, 514a-c to 521a-e (427-347 B.C.E.).
The movie, "The Matrix," parallels Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in a number of ways. Similar to the prisoners of the cave, the humans trapped in the matrix (the cave) only see what the machines (the modern day puppet-handlers) want them to see. They are tricked into believing that what they hear in the cave and see before them is the true reality that exists. Furthermore, they accept what their senses are telling them and they believe that what they are experiencing is all that really exists--nothing more. As Plato goes on to later explain, "The truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images." In "The Matrix," the machines use "shadows" (series of code which together make up the matrix world) to occupy the humans and keep them under their control. The prisoners of the cave and the matrix are shown only shadows of the real objects, in part, because the puppet-handlers believe that the truth would be too painful for the prisoners to accept. Besides, it is easier to pacify the prisoners and keep them happy (and under control) by supplying them with only half-truths since most will be uncooperative and try to escape if they learn that are in captivity.
In "Allegory of The Cave," Plato goes on to present the hypothesis that one of the prisoners (who he often referred to as the philosopher or intellectual) would eventually be released or escape from his chains and flee the cave. In the movie, "The Matrix" this scene directly parallels with Neo's scene in the matrix pod. Looking around in shock, Neo sees, for the first time, his true surroundings. He is actually living in a human factory. At first, Plato says that the Freed Prisoner would be confused at what he saw. "He [would] suffer sharp pains; the glare [would] distress him, and he [would] be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows....he'd be at a loss and believe that what was seen before is truer than what is now shown." As for Neo, when he is finally confronted with the truth surrounding the matrix, Neo is in a state of confusion and denial. In fact, the realization of the true is so overwhelming that he throws up and passes out.
As pointed out in "The Allegory of the Cave," the Freed Man might even feel that what he was seeing now was the illusion and the shadows on the wall were actually more real. Like Cypher tells Trinity, "I think the matrix can be more real than this world." Interestingly enough, Plato even ponders with the ideas that the bonds holding the prisoners to their chairs may actually be mental rather than physical in nature; in another words, if the prisoners really wanted to escape from the cave, they could do so by simply willing themselves to get up and walk out. (Note that in "The Matrix" that Morpheus is able to break free of his handcuffs with the use of his mental powers as well as physical strength.)
With these thoughts in mind, it is important to realize, at least according to Plato, that the Freed Man must have started to question what he saw in front of him and wondered about the origin of the shadows and if there was anything else beyond the cave wall that he saw before him. He must have sensed something was wrong and he sought out the truth. In fact, this is the only way that a prisoner is able to escape--it has to be the result of him making a choice and wanting to learn the truth. This theme is also found in the movie, "The Matrix." Neo is portrayed very must like the freed prisoner. As Morpheus tells Neo, "You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but its there, like a splinter in your mind driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me".
At some point, Plato’s suggests that the Freed Man would most likely want to share his discovery of the real world with those still trapped in the cave and want to free them. However, he would have no desire to go back to his life in the cave; in fact, "...he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner." Eventually though, his desire to help his fellow prisoners would win out. (Note that this accurately describes the members of the Neb crew with the exception of Cypher.)
SO … WHAT IS REAL?
What is real? How do you define real? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see...then real is simply ... electrical signals interpreted by your brain. With the appropriate technology thus we could identify the differences between each “signal” type and classify them into categories. Those could be generated as the administrator whishes and be passed into the object’s (prisoner) brain as parameters to the brain functions. (The mathematic word function in computer science is used for any operation that the system does). Of course this to happen the scientists have to understand how the human brain works, which then as some people claim would lead humanity from mortality to godship since then we would have the ability not only to create life but to control it as well. It’s not random that the word “architect” is both used for the God as well as for the creator of the “matrix” software. In nowadays high level programming languages are quite similar to the real world. The programmers now are practicing in creating objects which have their attributes and methods-functions. I.e. a finger as an object has some attributes which are other objects (bones, skin, neurons etc.) which all of them composite what we call a hand. A hand then has some specific methods (functions) e.g. open where the appropriate methods from the neurons are called to execute their methods and bypass the parameters of the move to each finger. Then the hand with the collaboration of the composite objects would complete the main function (brain) request. The human body looks like this, many parts which when are together and collaborating perform what we call a body. The above thought may look truthful but stand only if we bypass what was afore mentioned the methods that the brain interpreters the signals or how it generates the signals (parameters) that arrange the actions of the whole. The biggest gap in the above theory for programming “human” is the instinct and the free will which till now cannot be classified into categories.
WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
In conclusion, Plato's story of the cave so as the “The matrix” bring up many philosophical points and most importantly, addresses the issue of society's role in our lives. To some degree, we are all influenced by the thoughts and actions of others; however, at the same time, we have the ability to question, draw our own conclusions, and ultimately make our own choices.. What actually should grab us about this movie is this theme: "Free your mind" ... The whole idea is this, “to make the audience to develop critical thinking. We've already limited our exposure to negative, harmful messages from the people around us, the media and even our own self-talk. Yet we may not be able to prevent it all from affecting us. For example, much of the programming we've "learned" came from your parents, and we probably don't want to break all ties to our family. And because almost all our Poverty Consciousness beliefs are based on habits we've had for perhaps decades, it will take serious work to counteract this programming” –
“If you were born in China, you'd most likely be a faithful Communist. If you were born to a traditional tribal family in Haiti, you'd be practicing Voodoo. Every society produces people who are passionately convinced that their beliefs are right, even to the extent that they are willing to die for it. The majority of humans are products of society. Almost every religion claims that the other is wrong. One way or another at least one billion people are living in error. Maybe none of them have a monopoly on the truth, and everyone is wrong. Wake up… (Neo) Become intellectually independent of the society that formed your beliefs. Otherwise you're just a puppet of society…” As Trinity tells Neo, "The Matrix can not tell you who you are." By being courageous enough to turn around and take the red pill, we, just like Neo and the Freed Man, are making the first step towards personal independence. The real life matrix is not run by power-hungry computers; it has everything to do with the way people have been programmed since they were babies. Before virtually everyone learns to talk, they become plugged into the “Matrix”
REFERENCES
The references bellow are not exactly pointed above because all of the information used is interpreted by the author and presented all in a cumulative perspective.
-
Εισαγωγή στην φιλοσοφία «Η αλληγορία του σπηλαίου» Νίκος Αυγέλης, copyright 2001 Νίκος Αυγέλης, Επιμέλεια έκδοσης Αρχέλαος Κουτσούρης. Σελ. 198-201 (eng: Introduction to philosophy “The allegory of the cave” Nikos Avgelis, copyright 2001 Nikos Avgelis, redaction Archelaos Koytsouris Pp 198-201).
- http://www.vision.org Foundation for a new world “The matrix reality check” Peter Roberts, copyright 2002 vision.org
- http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com “Plato’s cave and the matrix” John Partridge copyright Warner Bros productions 2001.
