Essay Example on Critical Analysis of Philosophy in the Matrix

Introduction

The Matrix, directed by the Wachowskis and released in 1999, was an action-packed film that changed both popular culture and filmmaking. The movie's impact was derived from facets such as its striking art style, its many references, and adaptations from various religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and even Gnosticism (Childs, 2006). In taking narrative themes from bygone eras, I found this franchise's spin on a messianic figure quite refreshing, especially from science fiction and action film point of view.

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Hailing from Chicago, Illinois of the United States, The Wachowskis, admit having adapted the popular franchise from French philosopher Jean Baudrillard's 1981 philosophical book Simulacra and Simulation (Brabazon, 2011). The book itself sought to scrutinize the relationship between symbols, reality, and society. Its primary focus, the significance of culture and media in shaping our community is the central theme of The Matrix. Following the story of Neo alias Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves), the movie's post-apocalyptic narrative seeks to save humanity from the clutches of a machine invasion that has enslaved most of humanity in some sort of mental simulation (Falzon, 2006). Both postmodern and Platonic philosophies are highly prevalent in this work of art (Childs, 2006). My experience with the movie was far from eye-opening.

The Philosophical and moral issues in The Matrix

As already mentioned, The Matrix is adapted from Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation. It centers upon a society that is offered a reality by machines. The denizens of this world have no idea that they are in a simulation, and only a few live frees of this mental prison (Brabazon, 2011). From this standpoint, we can affirm this movie to be both philosophical and ethical, and as such, we are able to analyze it from a philosophical point of view.

Since the dawn of the new millennium when The Matrix released, university professors and students have been among the large number of fans pondering, scrutinizing, and ripping apart its profound messages that allude to philosophy, ethics, and religion (Childs, 2006). Entire courses have set aside time to ponder the biggest questions in the movie: Is it better to take the blue or the red pill, is the character Neo a messianic figure, what is real and what is not? Even the movie's lead, Mr. Reeves, embarked on learning French and reading Baudrillard with an aim to understand it (Falzon, 2006) better. The philosophical and ethical issues raised in The Matrix are issues raised in standard ethics classes all across the world (Brabazon, 2011). Professors all over are using the franchise as teaching material in their ethics and philosophy classes.

The Matrix focuses on Neo, a hacker who is quickly thrust into a new life by a group of rebels trying to convince him that he has been chosen to save the entire human civilization. They explain to him that whatever he is seeing or has been seeing all his life is a simulation being fed into his mind while his energy is being siphoned off by machines (Brabazon, 2011). He learns that a vast chunk of civilization is undergoing this same fate, and they must be freed. The fight starts in the simulation but culminates with Neo fighting in the real world, finally giving life to save humanity.

Professors are applying examples from The Matrix to introductory philosophy classes at universities. Scenes like the one where Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) unveils the truths of the matrix as a world in which machines have taken over humanity and feed them artificial simulations are often used (Childs, 2006). In this particular scene, Morpheus reveals that although humanity thinks it is free, it is imprisoned in the simulation, and only a few have been able to break free. This scene can be likened to the beliefs of philosopher Rene Descartes who observed that as a man, he might be fooled by a demon that he has legs and arms while in the real sense he has no appendages (Childs, 2006). Rene Descartes' main arguments fell upon a concept he referred to as the dream argument in which he argued that as a people, we should not readily accept what is going on around us because it might all be a dream. This premise comes up in this movie more than once. Neo would be in a state of doubt if the evil agents planted a tracker in his body. Rene Descartes' ideas about the dream are even further explored through Morpheus' character. Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams (Brabazon, 2011). In the movie, he is the one who explains the real and the hyperreal to Neo.

Questions such as, 'is happiness the greatest thing to behold' is a question posed in the movie when (Brabazon, 2011). Those who believe this happiness to be the most valuable thing in the world might be compelled to settle for a good life inside the simulation over an awful experience out in the real world inside the Nebuchadnezzar. In the movie, Cypher (Joe Pantoliano), settles for the simulation instead of the real world. Religious matters and symbolism that elude to philosophy are also rife in The Matrix (Childs, 2006). Neo, for one stands for one, and neo is called the Chosen One. His introduction scene has some of his clients calling him his personal Jesus Christ. Trinity is named after the Christian trinity, Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. She brings Neo back to life when he dies the same way Jesus was born back to life (Falzon, 2006). Zion is the name of a city that stands as the last bastion of humanity against the machines. Zion is also another name for the Biblical Jerusalem.

Conclusion

To conclude, the numerous philosophical and ethical aspects of this movie have helped it stand the test of time. The attention to detail and symbology by the Wachowskis have allowed this movie to not only be relevant in cinemas but in classrooms as well. It asks some deep questions that demand thinking after watching it. This movie is two decades old, yet it can be compared to legends two millennia old.

References

Brabazon, Tara. (2011). "Take the Red Pill: A New Matrix of Literacy." Journal of Media Literacy Education, vol. 2, EBSCOhost. search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=eric&AN=EJ1071866&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Childs, Peter. (2006) Texts: Contemporary Cultural Texts and Critical Approaches. Edinburgh University Press, EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=175463&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Falzon, C. (2006). Philosophy and the Matrix. The Matrix in Theory (pp. 95-111). Brill Rodopi.