The Matrix
Brielle Cintron
Drew Seminar
Dr. Lee
25 April 2017
The Matrix
Thesis Paragraph
As my thesis, I will defend Cypher’s view that entering the Matrix is a good idea. I will defend his view against Nozick’s view that plugging into the Matrix is bad. The following paper will contain three parts. Part one will be Socrates’ argument that the Matrix cannot be as real as the real world and that ignorance is the opposite of bliss. Part two will consist of how Nozick would react to Cypher’s view that the Matrix is as real as the real world. This part will also detail how Nozick would reply to Cypher’s perspective on ignorance. Lastly, in part three I will defend my thesis.
Part one: Socrates
Socrates’ best argument against the Matrix not being as real as the real world comes from The Allegory of the Cave. In this comparison, the cave represents the Matrix. The cave is a reflection of the real world thus, it is not as real. If the cave disappeared for any cause, the real world would not in turn disappear. In the cave, like in the Matrix, the prisoners only see shadows of objects, not the objects themselves. The images are being projected to the prisoners like the world in the Matrix is projected. Socrates’ would argue the Matrix cannot be real because it is a projection of the real world. “All in all, then, what the prisoners would take for true reality is nothing other than the shadows of those artifact” (Reeve 464). By this, Socrates is saying that the cave, and the Matrix, cannot be real because the reality is simply shadows of what is real. If the real world disappears than everything else also disappears with it. In the situation of the Matrix, if it disappeared the real world would still be left over. This is the reason Socrates would argue that the Matrix is not as real and the real world.
Cypher’s claim that ignorance is bliss would be argued by Socrates’ explanation of the examined life. Socrates would say that a person gives into ignorance if they live the unexamined life. In this life, a person takes things for granted because they do not challenge the assumptions of life. This life is one of opinion. Socrates would argue that Cypher wants to live this life because he does not care about knowledge or knowing the truth about the Matrix. According to Socrates “an unexamined life is not worth living for a human being” (Reeve 42). Cypher would be living meaningless life because he does not care to look deeper into life. Socrates assert that ignorance is not bliss and one must move away from ignorance so they can become knowledgeable. Cypher moving away from ignorance would not only make him knowledgeable but it would also allow him to live a good life.
Part two: Nozick
Nozick’s response to Cyphers claim that the Matrix is as real as the real world lies in his explanation for why we shouldn’t plug into the experience machine. The first reason the Matrix cannot be as real as the real world is because in it, we cannot have a person cannot have their own experiences. Yes, those in the Matrix have experiences but they are computer simulated. If the Matrix was as real as the real world, the person could perform these experiences on their own without the control of a computer. The next reason is because you cannot be a certain person in the Matrix. You are the person the computers make you and are simply “someone floating in a tank [as] an indeterminate blob” (Nozick 311). The person you are in the Matrix does not matter because you are just a reflection of the experiences of a computer simulation. Lastly, in the Matrix there is “no actual contact with any deeper reality” (Nozick 311). A person in the Matrix can only dig into reality as far as the computer will let them. Their experiences are limited to the control of the computer which means that it cannot be as real as the real world.
Nozick would disagree with Cypher’s claim that ignorance is bliss. In the Matrix, Cypher asks for his memories to be wiped before he returns to the simulation world. Nozick would say this is nonsense. Cypher having his memory wiped would make the real version of him vanish. On page 312 Nozick says “perhaps what we desire is to live… ourselves, in contact with reality”. By this he means that if Cypher chooses ignorance, he is giving up his contact with reality and the type of life so many choose to live. Nozick would also argue that in Cypher’s choice to have his memory wiped, he is giving up his chances of being an actual person. In the Matrix Cypher is nothing. He cannot be smart, charming or caring. The computer programs him to seem this way but he is not truly those traits in reality. “Plugging into the machine is suicide” (Nozick 311). Nozick would argue that if Cypher gave into ignorance and wiped his memory, he would be killing his real self.