Philosophy in the Matrix series
Like the best science fiction, The Matrix and its sequels raises questions about who we are and the world we are living in. The Wachowskis had much to draw from in their ideas about a real world hidden behind the faade of the one we see every day. This topic and its ramifications have been raised in philosophy going all the way back to Plato’s allegory of the cave. In this parable, a group of people is chained inside a cave for their entire lives, and the only visions they get of the outside world are the shadows cast on the wall in front of them.A more modern philosophical influence was Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation, published in 1985. Supposedly, the Wachowskis required their cast and crew members to read this and understand it before filming, and a copy of the book appears in the film as a hiding place for some discs. Baudrillard says that humans live in a simulated reality because society has replaced all meaning with symbols. The book also references a short story by the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges called “On Exactitude in Science”, in which a kingdom devotes its energy to constructing a larger and larger map until the map perfectly overlays the kingdom.The belief in Messianism also reflects on the character of Neo in the film. Just as most major religions are centered around a divine savior, the world of the Matrix can only be redeemed by Neo. Humans are seen as incapable of saving themselves in most messianic beliefs. However, the later Matrix films change this notion by showing the revolt of the humans against the machines.The next time you sit down to watch the film, think about exactly what you are seeing, and consider whether you can trust your eyes when you turn them away from the screen.