The Matrix and the Search for Truth
In Descartes’ Meditations, he gives license to the idea that doubt can actually be a way of beginning one’s movement towards truth, just as doubt regarding the flickering of images on the cave wall by the inhabitant of Plato’s Cave begins his movement of turning around and seeing the outside sun and beginning the climb upward towards truth. Descartes seemingly encourages his philosopher-reader to do just this—to doubt in order to begin getting the mind working, questioning and interacting with what one can and cannot reasonably know: “Let us suppose, then, that we are dreaming, and that all these particulars—namely, the opening of the eyes, the motion of the head, the forth-putting of the hands—are merely illusions” (Descartes, 1641, l. 6). This same idea is put to Neo by Morpheus, who challenges Neo to stop living in the dream world, which he knows is not correct by the intuition in his soul. He senses, as Plato indicates in the Allegory of the Cave, that the truth is written on the soul and that this is why the soul responds to the flickering of light—the truth—when it sees it. For Neo, the light is mixed in with the dream, and he must struggle through the dream to the reality, and one way he does this is by way of Doubt—just as Descartes suggests.
For example, early on in the film, Neo awakens from sleep while sitting before his computer. On the screen is a message sent from Trinity. He does not know her, but Trinity...
References
Descartes, R. (1641). “Meditation I ofthe Thingsof Which We May Doubt” Excerpt from René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy
Plato. “The Allegory of the Cave”. Excerpt from Plato, The Republic, Book VII, 514A1–518D8.
Wachowski, A, & Wachowski, L. (1999). The Matrix. Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. Los Angeles: Warner Bros. Pictures.
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