Blog 3

In the book "Matrix and Philosophy" I was intrigued by the chapter " The Matrix Possibility". Now I myself don't believe that the Matrix is real, but in this chapter there were a couple points that were arguable. If we were in fact in the Matrix then all our beliefs would have to be thrown out the window, being that everything was a dream. Like the author explains, how could someone believe another if they were told that they had been living in a dream land. It would be very hard to convince anybody. That means thier house, car, job, kids, memories are all fake. Good luck with that. The author talks about the possiblity of the Matrix, and questions all the cridentials of what makes things real. Through out the chapter the author constintly goes back and forth on his statment always refering to the possiblity, never saying that it's real. Which makes sense, who is who tell the reader it's real. He discusses Neo's realization of the Matrix, or better put Neo's struggle to beleive the Matrix. He talks about Neo having to trust Morpheus, who in reality doesn't deserve trust when he could of been giving Neo a pill to hallucinate. But of cousre the only thing that makes Neo take the pill is his own knowledge. Neo already vaugely knows about the Matrix, well atleast thinks there is one. Then the author discusses how everything thought to be true in his past can no longer hold accont in his new life. If the Matrix were indeed real then everything we were to think obvious, can not hold true no more. For example; the sky is blue, seems correct but if we lived in the Matrix we could not believe that anymore. The sky was blue in the Matrix, but the Matrix is a dream so it can't be real. Nothing can hold account anymore. What you been told was wrong can be good, and vice versa. Later in another chapter he talks about the senses in the Matrix, discusses how the senses can be decieving. He talks about the physical moments seen in the film. The author recollects situations when physical moments in the movie actually hurt Neo, even when he was in the matrix. Like when he jumps out from the building and lands on the pavement. There was blood trickling from his mouth. I was much like most viewers a little confused, if it was all a fake; a dream then how could it still cause any real harm? Soon my question was answered with an obvious response. When Neo asks him "If you're killed in the Matrix you die here?" Morhpeus responds "The body cannot live without the mind."

Matrix Blog

The Matrix was much like the story "Allegory of the Cave", there were a lot of themes that could be compared.In the "Allegory of the Cave", a prisoner who only saw shadows his whole life was released into the world, at first he could't believe what he saw. It took time for him to realize what he saw was in fact "real". Like the prisoner, Neo had trouble believing that the world he lived in his whole life wasn't real. The film "The Matrix" was a very creative way to question an old philosophy question. What is real? It was always believed, if you can; feel, smell, touch, see then it is real. But in the Matrix, to Neo it felt real, smelled real, he saw it, but still was not "real" according to Morpheus. But if he were to die in the matrix he would still die in the "real world".Morpheus said that the body can not live with out the mind. If your mind makes it real, then why can't it not be real? The Matrix film implied that, Neo along with the rest of the world lived in a constructed world. Everyone was living a lie, they could not see the truth. In the "Allegory of the Cave" the prisoners lived in a cave chained, staring at a wall where shadows constantly moved across. That wall and shadows was their version of the matrix. After taking into account countless examples I have come with one conclusion. I feel that what ever you believe in ,is real enough. Thats all it takes in the end, belief. In order for Neo to finally accept the Matrix, he had to belive that it wasn't real. In order for the prisoner to accept what he saw when he was out the cave was real, he had to believe. The question; What is real? Doesn't really have an answer. The answer to that would have to be another question. Do you believe it's real?

Blog 1

If I were one of the chained men in the cave I wouldn't know where I was, just that I'm home. If I was put there as I child, I’d grow up knowing only the shadows. The shadows would be my religion, it would be the only thing that I know held true. When I'd wake up it would be there, before I sleep it would be there, the only constant thing in my life. I feel that if you are raised believing in one thing all your life, then there is no way of changing the way one sees things. It lays deep in side you, your mind makes it the truth, and if you feel it then you won't fight yourself. Some examples are religion. Some believe in their religion so blindly that they are willing to fight and die for it. They were raised their whole lives in the belief of that religion, enough so that they would put their lives on the line for it. Other examples would be the way parents raise their kids. If a certain parent was raised one way, then most likely they would raise their children the same way. If as a child they were raised to belief, one way, behave one way, act one way; then when their older they would do the same for their children. If all I saw was shadows, then all I'd know is shadows. That would be real to me that would be the world to me. If someone were to tell me there was more than just shadows I wouldn't believe the. I wouldn't even listen to what they had to say, the shadows are always there for me. What ever they said would be a lie. The shadows are real.