"The Matrix" and the Philosophy in its Code
The Matrix , directed by the Wachowskis and released in 1999, depicts a world where the human race has become enslaved by machines and are trapped in a simulation that keeps them pacified while they are used as a power source. The protagonist Neo (Keanu Reeves) is awaken from this illusion by the rebel leader Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and is trained to become the One and lead the way to complete freedom from the Matrix for all of humanity. Since its release at the end of the 1990s, The Matrix has been cited as one of, if not the most, philosophical films to be made, with themes of perceptions of reality, nihilism and scepticism, employing theories from many philosophers such as René Descartes and Plato. When American philosopher Thomas Wartenberg wrote about how cinema can do more than illustrate philosophy, it can be argued that The Matrix might be the prime example of how a cinematic text can not only “illustrate” philosophy, but also put it into practice. One of the most ...