Asilo,​ ​Heryka​ ​C.

Philo​ ​1​ ​-​ ​WFU1

2008​ ​-​ ​09828 22​ ​September​ ​2017

The​ ​Matrix

There is a saying that “To see is to believe.” While using the sense of sight is a

useful tool in knowing whether something is real or not, it should not be the only thing

we use to gauge reality. Even with the use of touch, hearing, smell, or taste, one cannot

establish the reality of something. The things we perceive in the world with our five

physical senses, are merely “empirical concepts,” which are said to exist in time and

space. Other things that we know to exist, even though we do not readily see them are

“theoretical concepts,” which are things that require “sensory extending devices” in

order to be observed by our physical senses. Therefore, we do not exactly see them

with our own eyes, yet we believe or accept them to be real. Now imagine if someone

tells you that what you see with your own eyes is not real but only a simulation of it. The

Matrix​ ​shows​ ​us​ ​just​ ​that,​ ​a​ ​world​ ​where​ ​the​ ​reality​ ​we​ ​think​ ​we​ ​know​ ​is​ ​not​ ​even​ ​real.

The movie delves into this issue of reality because it says that the world that

most humans live in is not the “real world” but merely a simulation of it, what is called

The Matrix. The protagonist of the story, a hacker named Neo, gets contacted by people

who know the truth and are free from The Matrix and they welcome him into their ship

and their rebellious cause of fighting these machines which control The Matrix. This
so-called simulated reality was supposedly created by machines to control human

beings in order for them to get the human’s body heat and electricity to use as a source

of​ ​energy.

The movie also features a scene where Morpheus, a character that has been

freed from the simulated reality, offers Neo an important choice, between the red pill

and the blue pill. The red pill will allow Neo to discover the truth about The Matrix, while

the blue pill will allow him to return to his normal life before. Of course Neo chooses the

red pill which then led him to the “real world” where he met the others who were also

freed​ ​from​ ​The​ ​Matrix.

The plot of the movie can be compared to the Allegory of the Cave by Plato since

it tackles a world beyond what people know to be real. In the Allegory of the Cave,

people inside the cave think that the shadows they see is the real thing, just like in The

Matrix where the world we see is supposedly just the inside of the cave and only a

simulation of reality. Neo can then be compared to the prisoner who was able to escape

the cave, and as we know in the Allegory of the Cave, the prisoner would not believe

what is being shown to him at first. The prisoner would refrain from accepting that the

world he knew was not real, and this is what first happened with Neo. He chose to be

captured by the men following him instead of following his instructions given to him by

Trinity and Morpheus. However in the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoner who

refused to see the light of the sun is forced up and out of the cave. This part is different
with The Matrix because Neo was given a choice by Morpheus. He willingly chose to

know about the truth, although I think that his choice was not really well informed. I

personally think that anyone given that choice would be inclined to choose the red pill,

only because we would be intrigued that there is a reality beyond what we know.

However, it should be considered that there could be consequences and risks in

choosing​ ​to​ ​know​ ​this,​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​comes​ ​at​ ​a​ ​price​ ​as​ ​they​ ​say.

As the story progresses, we see Neo “adjusting to the light of the sun” and he

masters living in the real world together with the others, just like the prisoner that has

been dragged out of the cave. So the prisoner sees the truth and realizes that the real

world is much better than the world he knew inside the cave, and would try to help the

other prisoners get out as well, like Morpheus and the others who are leading the

rebellion​ ​against​ ​the​ ​machines​ ​controlling​ ​most​ ​humans​ ​in​ ​The​ ​Matrix.

What we can learn from both The Matrix and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is that

change is difficult to accept, because we always fear what we do not know and

understand. The concept of a reality beyond the world we are experiencing is very

foreign to us and most people would dismiss it outright as impossible or simply not true.

But if we always get stuck on fear of the unknown, we must acknowledge that almost all

the discoveries and technology would not have been made. If we choose not to go

beyond what is known, established and comfortable, we will be imprisoned by the status

quo. We should look at it as our responsibility to be brave, climb out of the cave, and
choose the red pill, because it is a pity to see the light and not share it. It is a pity to be

freed from The Matrix and not fight for others to be free from it as well. So choose the

red pill, even if it scares you, because is it not more scary to be stuck in a world that is

merely a shadow of the real one? So if there is “a world where anything is possible,”

what​ ​is​ ​stopping​ ​you​ ​from​ ​choosing​ ​it?