Philosophy of the Matrix Essay - 1650 Words

Philosophy of the Matrix (Essay Sample) Content: Philosophy and Themes NameProfessorCourseDatePhilosophy and Themes Part one: Philosophy of the MatrixIn the documentary Philosophy and the matrix, one is presented with two of the most important aspects of life. They are a reality and the human condition of the mind. The documentary weaves a story as presented by the movies that is not only interesting, but also awakening. These philosophical notions create awareness in the viewer that makes him view his life in a different light altogether. The main character in the documentary is Neon, a man who must defy all odds to break away from the mind control and save humanity from danger. In the documentary, one is presented with a form of control where computers are able to perform the tasks of men and, therefore, control the destiny of the human. Through the presentations in the documentary, one cannot fail to realize the attempt to provide the general public with the philosophical knowledge that for a long time had been h idden from them.The documentary revolves around illusion and reality. It looks like the matrix has been designed in order to distort reality and replace it with an illusion. Neo and his contemporaries must break away from this illusion in order to face life in the real world. However, this proves to be not so easy task and it requires prudence and total control of the mind in order to be achieved. The matrix tries to unite illusion and reality. In a conversation about dreams, the question is posed about the difference between dreams and reality. One has to know when dreams end and how they are related to the real life situations. Neo realizes than in the matrix, an individual who dies also loses his life in the real world. This becomes a false reality that the matrix can create. Neo, therefore, becomes a rare breed of humans. He becomes a savior. He helps in delivering the weak humans from the notions of false reality. In a conversation about dreams, the question is posed about the difference between dreams and reality. Through this, he prevents the distortion of reality and does away with an illusion. It is, therefore, evident that the philosophy of reality is important. One can conceptualize what is real and differentiate it from illusions by understanding the meaning of reality. Thus, an individual becomes a superior human being who can control his own destiny by living in the real world.The documentary reveals a lot to be desired about the condition of the human mind. The human mind is compared to a computer since it is a central processing unit that receives commands and then initiates actions. Particular causes exist in life that helps in influencing the human mind to make choices. Through these choices, reason and desire are created. However, due to creativity, the human mind can acquire certain traits without the presence of a cause. Just as in the documentary, Neo gets to develop his own condition of the mind that makes him stand out among his contem poraries. He can defy the laws of the matrix and adapt his own course of action that he uses to prevent himself from being controlled by the computer. One wonders how he can do this and escape from the strong influences that the matrix imposes on the human mind. The condition of the human mind is, therefore, a powerful tool that makes individuals be superior to others and this leads to the development of forms of leadership and governments in the society. Part TwoThe promise of meaningMeaning contains many cover ups. For one to understand his environment better, he must be in a position to develop a feeling of attachment with nature and everything that surrounds him. And this is only possible when he is in a position to relate objects with their names and what they resemble. Through this, he must understand the concept of meaning. The documentary reveals that meaning contains a huge promise. It is the only thing that links us to our environment and other people in the society. An i ndividual who is not in a position to understand this promise often feels naked and he gets to believe that he is not alive. Indeed, meaning holds much promise as it is the key to the gets of understanding. People often crave to understand this concept. As a matter of fact, when thy fail to relate objects or matters with what they stand for, they end up admitting that they have not understood anything. This realization is very harmful since it creates a sense of dissatisfaction and frustration that may lead to the occurrence of morbidities such as anxiety disorders. Individuals with the capacity to conceptualize quickly are better placed in life because they can easily relate objects, word and people to their meanings. Such individuals are sad to have very high intelligent Quotients as compared to their counterparts who are deemed as slow to grasp meanings. As can be expected, knowledge is but a collection of symbols that can only be obtained if their meanings are understood by the individual. Those who have the ability to grasp these symbols and give them meanings are able to develop a good memory. The concepts that they acquire in life get printed in their minds and they are able to retrieve them whenever possible. Where there is no palpable meaning; one must work hard to find it. Meaning controls how we live. It makes one know what to do and not what to do in life. It also makes one have a feeling and be able to feel anxious about things that matter in life. Through this, one gets to be responsible and he gets to learn how to treat others. Knowing other people, their feelings and expectations are an also important factor that is directly linked to meaning. Philosophically speaking, the promise of meaning is one of the fundamental notions that create a relationship between objects, people and other forms of matter in this world and even beyond. Again, the ability to develop character strongly lies on different aspects of life and how such aspects control an individual by providing him with proper meanings. Basically, two individuals can be presented with the same stimuli but whatever meanings they derive from those the stimuli define how they will behave. Scientists have tried this method on various animal subjects with amazing results. This can also explain why siblings in a given family grow up with different traits that contrast one another. In the documentary, the presenters use meanings to focus on aspects such as patriotism, God and religion as well as humanity.Applied ethicsIn the documentary, one is presented with the concept of applied ethics and how it is related to the common sense morality. The presenter argues that this applied ethics helps in corrupting the minds of the youth. This is because iot6 challenges the morals and make individuals think of something in a different perspective. As much as this ethics comes from individuals, it does not have to be entirely subjective. It must provide a fair judgment of behaviors by providing good relationships between individuals in the society. Applied ethics helps individuals to understand how other people feel. By putting ones self in other peoples position, he can develop good relations with them and this is important in creating peaceful coexistence in the society. In the long run, applied ethics helps one provide benefit to others through the moral obligation to help. Part three: 60 Seconds Adventure in ThoughtThe philosophy on Achilles and the tortoiseThis philosophy tries to explain the fact that all movement is impossible. It us...