Matrix, The Cave, and The Meditation The topic of what is real and what is false can seem to be very definite to many people. Typically, it is easy for one to think that if something is tangible it must be real. If asked what is real, one might say, “ The things that I can see, touch, smell, hear, and feel are what is real.” However, there are some people who are not satisfied with this simple answer and would challenge this view. The hit movie The Matrix, Plato’s famous cave allegory, and Rene
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Plato’s Allegory Plato is known today as one of the greatest philosophers of all time, allowing him a prominent place in the history of philosophy. To fully appreciate Plato's ideas and viewpoint, it is important to understand his contributions to rationalism and his perception of human knowing. It is also essential to know and appreciate how his Allegory of the Cave depicts rationalism and human knowing, and parallels Christian thought. Finally, comparing and contrasting Plato’s worldview with
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know than that of which is foreign to them. Much of these ideas present in The Allegory of the Cave are present in Fahrenheit 451. The Firemen are much like the puppeteers in the way that they both create a world that they want society to see, whilst hiding everything else from them, by imprisoning humans into a cave or by burning books in Fahrenheit 451’s case. The wall-to-wall screens are a lot like the puppets in the cave in that the form the basis of all that society knows. Society’s wish to deny
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English 1101 29 September 2014 Plato’s Allegory and Benjamin Franklin’s Temple of Learning Set in 390 B.C. and 1799, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Benjamin Franklin’s Temple of Learning demonstrate more contrasting than similar ideas on the topic of education. The two literary works are profoundly analyzed by modern society and are part of group discussions throughout school classrooms. Each author has a specific way of getting his point across. The Allegory depicts how a prisoner gained knowledge
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Illusion? Each of the readings discusses aspects of man being deceived by his senses. In The Matrix, almost every human is plugged into a giant computer and lives out an illusion provided by the computer to the brain (Wachowski, 1999). In The Allegory of the Cave, a hypothetical situation where men are only allowed to see shadows of reality is discussed by Socrates and Glaucon (Plato, n.d.). Finally, in Meditation I of The Things of Which We May Doubt, René Descartes attempts to eliminate all beliefs
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The Matrix, Plato, and Descartes Whether one elects for the “red pill of truth”, or the “blue pill of deception”, the battle for the human mind is being waged. Similarities between the motion picture, The Matrix, “The Allegory of the Cave” from Plato, the Republic, Book VII, 514A1-518D8, and Meditation 1 of The Things of Which We May Doubt, from Rene’s Descartes, Meditations on the First Philosophy 1641, include the existence of the opposing force that seeks to deceive the human (mind) soul,
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introduces his ‘Allegory of the Cave’ which presents itself in the form of a Socratic dialogue between Glaucon, the brother of Plato, and Plato’s teacher, Socrates. Plato’s initial focus in his ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is almost entirely transcendent; he is concerned not with knowledge, but rather with the nature of reality. Socrates, speaking to Glaucon, describes a group of prisoners chained to a wall in a cave who have been there since birth. Behind them is a fire, which lights the cave, and between
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contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? All three; “The Matrix”, “The Allegory of the Cave” the more eloquent “Meditation 1 of the Things of Which We May Doubt” all seem to center on the same metaphysical question of; what is real? The Matrix is much like a modern version of The Allegory of the Cave in which both the perception based reality is explored with their costs and limitations involved. It seems to me that Rene’ Descartes “Meditations
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from the den and “compelled to look straight at the light?” What does the prisoner see when he is returns to the cave? What does he then feel about reality? What happens when a prisoner is released from the den and “compelled to look straight at the light?” What does the prisoner see when he returns to the cave? What does he then feel about reality? When the prisoner leaves the cave and looks straight into the light, he is left blind by the extreme brightness of it. However, after a while, he gets
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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave Plato’s allegory of the cave is a famous piece derived from his book the Republic. The cave is famed to be a conversation between Socrates, Plato’s respected mentor, and another one of Socrates’ followers, Glaucon. Additionally, Plato’s allegory is meant to be a depiction of the effects of education on society and Plato expresses his abhorrence with how society has ultimately ostracized philosophers out of ignorance of the philosopher’s teachings. The philosopher’s
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