Descartes vs the Matrix

Agustin Guzman

Philosophy5

September 28, 2015

The Matrix Vs Descartes

Descartes idea of “What is reality?” compare heavily to the motion picture, The Matrix, with some minor difference is them. Descartes questions how we know whether we are dreaming or whether we are awake. Neo the protagonist in the movie questions the exact same thing. He lives an everyday struggle of not knowing whether he is dreaming or he is awake. Neither Descartes nor Neo trust their senses to tell whether they in a state of reality or in a state of dreaming, they both agree that your senses are very deceiving. The difference is that Descartes believes that the Dream state reality is controlled by evil demons, in The Matrix it is controlled by a mega computer. In the end Descartes was unable to find the final answer for the reason that he begins to question his own beliefs and reasoning. Neo over the course of the film is able to find the true reality.

Neo and Descartes both question reality, for them it is hard to tell whether they are dreaming or are actually awake. They do not trust any of their senses because they know how easily the senses are tricked. They are both trying to find the answer to this question, a question that is hard because there is no real way of knowing whether you are dreaming or awake. Eventually, with the help of other people Neo finds his answer. Descartes on the other hand never comes to a conclusion; he begins to question his reasoning.

The difference between The Matrix and Descartes is their idea of who or what controls this Dream State Reality. In the Matrix it is controlled by a super computer that is actually called the Matrix that simulates the dream state, the dream state is the state that we are in now, regular human life. In the Matrix regular life is actually a dream and we are asleep, while reality is a cold dark place. For Descartes he believed that there is an Evil Demon that creates this evil dream state that has the power to trick us...