preview

Plato And Descartes Comparison Essay

Decent Essays

1. Compare and contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences?

The matrix Synopsis and the two excerpts possess similarities between the texts. The one similarity that stood out the most between the texts, is that they all question the reality of everything that is around and whether they were in a dream or reality. As seen through the text in Matrix, “Have you ever had a dream that was so life-like that when you woke up you weren’t sure at first if the dream had ended? (Synopsis)” Illustrated through this statement, the question is brought up multiple times throughout the synopsis, questioning whether Neo is in the Matrix or not and if this life is an illusion. Shown through Descartes …show more content…

In the story, the Matrix, Neo is able to figure out that the world they are living in is being controlled by a computer system. After figuring out that they are in a dream they are able to fight back to return to reality. However, in Plato’s and Descartes stories they are not able to return to reality. Plato states, “And if also one should point out to him each of the passing objects and constrain him by questions to say what it is, do you not think that he would be at a loss and that he would regard what he formerly saw as more real than the things now pointed out to him?” Given this it shows that these men have seen the shadows for so long, that these shadows are more real than the world outside. When given the opportunity to enter the world, they will go back into solitude, because they believe the outside world is the fake and the shadows are real. Descarto was never able to gain a chance to find reality, because he continued to question what was real or not throughout the whole synopsis, thus leading him to believing nothing was a reality and everything was a dream. On top of that the matrix is a story that revolves around a computer system that was created by mankind. Plato’s story revolves around the thought of how these humans were put in these chains, and Descartes story was wrapped up in his world of illusion of evil

Get Access