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Philosophy: Berkeley, Locke And Descartes Term Paper

Objects had primary qualities of an independent of the observer, like mass, motion, texture, etcetera, as opposed to subjective qualities like color, taste, and smell. As the Matrix world was wholly subjective, it was therefore a false world and one should seek to escape it, as it shut a person out from full participation in a world of external substances, including God, and also the primary qualities of other objects. The Matrix world was entirely a world of secondary properties. Furthermore, because of Locke's stress upon human freedom, having one's body and perceptions controlled and determined by an external entity like a tyrant would be horrifying to the philosopher. Question 2 Opinion

On an emotional level, it is hard not to cry out 'of course I would not want to dwell in the world of the Matrix and I would choose the red pill' the idea that we do not want to be deceived is a profoundly important one, to every person, almost on an instinctual level -- when we are lied to by a loved one, we accuse the person of doing us a terrible wrong. Yet we spend a great teal of our lives in escapism and detachment from out bodies and senses -- through television, reading, surfing the Internet, and viewing...

All of these mediums manipulate our senses the Matrix is like a Nintendo system writ large.
The film is a sobering reminder, from a Lockean perspective, of the need to stay in touch with real, lived experiences, and primary qualities of other beings and substances. Even if one believes like Berkeley that the world originates in our senses, at least this 'real' world, unlike the Matrix world is not the generation of a piece of technology, meaning that a creation of humanity is now controlling its human creator.

Works Cited

Downing, Lisa. "George Berkeley." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

10 Sept 2004. 7 May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/

Smith, Kurt. "Rene Descartes." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

First published Mon Apr 9, 2001; substantive revision Tue Feb 27, 2007.

May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-works/

Uzgalis, William. Rene Descartes.." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

First published Sun Sep 2, 2001; substantive revision Sat May 5, 2007.

May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Downing, Lisa. "George Berkeley." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

10 Sept 2004. 7 May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/

Smith, Kurt. "Rene Descartes." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

First published Mon Apr 9, 2001; substantive revision Tue Feb 27, 2007.
May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-works/
May 2007. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke
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