Essay on Application of Socrates and Platos Philosophies to Matrix Film

It is difficult to determine and distinguish the reality from unreality or illusion; as expressed by Plato in Allegory of the Cave people are blinded by things that they can recognize and distinguish. This idea is further expressed and supported in the movie, the Matrix where the main character Neo seems to have forgotten what reality looks like. This paper will examine Platos epistemological level of opinion to true knowledge based on the film Matrix.

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The idea of allegory expressed by Plato is that people cannot see or distinguish unreality from reality. It is difficult for people to perceive the real facts and simulacra reality. In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato argues that people are blinded by the things that they can see. However, as Plato explains, when someone sees the truth, he/she may want to tell another person who in most cases may not believe him/her. Plato explains this concept with two prisoners who have lived in chains in the cave and can no longer recognize what is real and unreal (Thiongo 25). The prisoners construct reality from the shadows cast by the puppeteers. When one prisoner breaks free and leaves the cave, he can no longer make the reality of what he sees outside the cave. However, he realizes that his entire life had been controlled by the people who kept him in the cave; at this point, he has learned the truth. The distortion created by the noise and voices in the cave makes the prisoner confused about what is real and unreal (Plato 548). Plato argues that once people are enlightened and they can separate reality from unreality they want to acquire more enlightenment. However, in the case of the two men in the cave, Plato argues that the escaped prisoner after getting knowledge about what reality is decided to go back to teach his fellow. He desired to enlighten his friend so as to help him distinguish the difference between reality and unreality (Plato 552).

According to Platos allegory of the cave, the real world is just but an illusion. The cave described in the story between the two men captured and enslaved represents the world where people are kept from the reality. Plato thinks that the cave is like the prison where people are kept since birth and they know nothing but only the shadows and sounds that they can see and hear in the cave. The act of the prisoner freeing himself from the cave symbolizes the freedom that people gain after freeing themselves from the world of illusion (Thiongo). With the help of philosophical concepts, few people are able to free themselves from the world of appearance and able to perceive the real world as it should be.

In the movie, Matrix the main character Neo has been living in a world which he knows that is real; however, after being shown the two worlds he no longer recognizes what is real and unreal anymore. Neo was born in a world full of illusions known as the Matrix. After going on the journey so as to identify his real identity and the truth and reality that surrounds him, he realizes that reality is no longer what he has known since he was born. The movie Matrix is just but a retelling of Platos cave of allegory; there are quite a number of similarities to Platos allegory of the cave. For example, Neo is presented with different instances to help him decide what is real and unreal; however, he is unable to determine the truth. When Morpheus presents the spoon Boy to Neo, he no longer distinguishes reality and unreality. The spoon Boy tells Neo that it is not the spoon that bends but rather the person looking at the spoon is the one bending; this is a surprise to Neo. In contrary to what he has known in the world of appearance he rejects the Boys idea.

Morpheus presents the same notion of argument like that of Plato that the world is nothing but a real creation that blinds people from seeing the reality that lies behind it. The spoon that Neo sees bending is really real but it does not bend. The notion that the spoon Boy is bending the spoon is only the perception that Neo can see. The problem of knowledge is presented by the Greek philosophers. Socrates presents the argument of conflict between the body and mind of a person in distinguishing the reality and unreality. Socrates argues that people become knowledgeable when the break from the bonds that hold them and deter them from seeing the reality (Grau). Neo breaks the bond just like the first prisoner who escaped from the cave in Platos Allegory of cave. Morpheus helps Neo to break the bond by presenting him with the reality; something that he did not know about. The same way the cave prisoner got enlightened, Neo also gets the chance to see the light. Socrates question on knowledge acquisition further explains the notion of reality and unreality. As Socrates explains, what people know as teaching is not teaching but rather a process of reminder. Socrates explains that what people call teaching does not establish the merits that acquiring the truth should follow. According to Socrates, the ability of the learner to acquire knowledge does not depend on his/her ability to recall or remember exact things that the teacher taught; but rather the acquisition of knowledge should be based on how the teaching process can lead to knowledge acquisition. As Socrates argues, knowledge is available to every person. Again, knowledge can be taught as well. The same concept is presented in Matrix with Neo being taught the new things that he never knew before. As Socrates explains, societal rules and regulations that everyone must follow symbolize the bondage that deters people from realizing the reality.

In conclusion, Platos allegory of cave presents the forms of representations of things on earth. People see the things that are represented in a higher realm. As compared to Platos two prisoners Neo in the Matrix sees the light and gets to know that his entire life before the journey was nothing but an illusion and lie. As Socrates explained, educators should be able to provide proper guidance to the learners as they acquire knowledge. As Morpheus guided Neo through his process of learning the new reality and the escaped prisoner in Platos allegory of cave got to acquire the new knowledge about the outside world; educators need to guide their learners.

Works Cited

Grau, Christopher. Philosophers explore the matrix. Oxford University Press on Demand, 2005.

Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. The Power of Language: The Language of Power. 2nd ed. Ed. Jessica Isaacs XE "Jessica Isaacs", Jeff Cox, Christian Morgan, Kelli McBride XE "Kelli McBride", and Rachel Jackson. Boston: Pearson, 2006, 547-552.

Thiong'o, Ngugi Wa. "The Allegory of the Cave: Language, Democracy and a New World Order!." Black Renaissance 1.3 (1998): 25.