after you have meticulously read and annotated james lawler's "we are the one! kant explains how to manipulate the matrix," i want you to write a blog response about any aspect of the article you found particularly interesting. the movie is extremely dense in its ideas and philosophy, but james lawler does a good job at breaking it down from a particular perspective. what does he discuss that you find to be particularly incisive or trenchant? is there any aspect of the film that he helped to clarify or elucidate? your post is a response to lawler's essay and you are free to discuss anything you like. make sure to make references to the essay, the film, and any philosophy we have discussed in class.
this blog post is due january 3rd by midnight.
this blog post is due january 3rd by midnight.
46 comments:
James Lawlor’s incisive analization of The Matrix clearly outlines the movies influence of philosophy. In Lawler’s “I Am the One” section of his essay, he demonstrates the truth of the meaning of Neo being the One and the egotism throughout the dimension of life. “Egotism consists of taking one’s own individual physical existence as the primary basis of one’s choices (Lawlor, 142).” Its hard for everyone to believe that Neo is the One because of this element of egotism since “each individual spontaneously, naturally believes in her or his mysterious election as a special being, as the special being (Lawlor, 142).” Morpheus , Trinity, or another enlightened person could possibly be the One but Neo ,unlike the others, fully comprehended the operation of the Matrix and the reality of illusions leading up to the understanding. Neo makes the transformation from ignorance to pure being through the steps outlined by the philosopher Kant. Kant’s philosophies can also apply to the moral choices in the Matrix, truth, freedom, and humanity. The moral choices are similar to the point of views “seen from the standpoint of moral consciousness: a world of human unity and freedom. If the first is reality, then the second must be an illusion ( Lawlor, 142-143).” The red pill symbolizes the reality and the blue pill symbolizes the illusion that the Matrix creates. The illusions created are similar to the illusions created from the Cartesian doubt and the dream within a dream philosophy. The Matrix references directly to philosophy and James Lawlor’s essay breaks down the movie into simpler theories for the more ignorant audiences.
A fascinating aspect presented in the film The Matrix is that everything is an illusion. When Neo first learns that his life up until he met Morpheus was an illusion, naturally it was difficult for him to adjust. The world Neo thought he knew turned out to be a fake where no one attempted to question alternate ways of life. This is very similar to Plato’s Myth of the Cave theory. The people living in the Matrix were blind to reality just like the prisoners in the cave where “all they could see was the wall in front of them.” In addition, the “potential” that bent the spoon in the Oracle’s waiting room exhibits another type of illusion. Neo is blown away when he sees the young boy deforming a spoon, and when he questions the boy’s methods, the boy answers, “ …if however we recognize the truth that [the spoon] is one with us… then we need only bend ourselves.” Neo comes to realize that by believing that all is one, similar to what the boy is alluding to, many things that he may have once thought were impossible, he can now attempt. In another scene, Morpheus tells Neo to jump from one building to another. Instead of releasing his fear like instructed, Neo allows his initial fear to overcome him. Because the idea of the height being an illusion seems unreal to Neo, he falls. The reason Neo did not clear the distance can be explained by philosopher Immanuel Kant, when he says, “ Whoever throws [tutelage] off makes only an uncertain leap over the narrowest ditch… therefore, there are few who have succeeded by their own exercise of mind both in freeing themselves from incompetence and in achieving a steady pace” (Kant, What is Enlightenment?). Because Neo was recently enlightened at this time, he did not completely free his mind, as a result he fell his first time attempting a large jump. The most important aspect that Neo must understand is that everything is an illusion. Eventually by believing this, and viewing the world as a place with no limits, Neo becomes enlightened.
James Lawler’s “We are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” analyzes the different philosophical ideas in The Matrix. In the section “Two Theories of Liberation,” Lawler explains that since The Matrix proposes two kinds of imprisonment, external and internal, there must be two theories on how to become free. Philosophy presents two explanations of salvation, one which is Platonic, and another which is Kantian. Lawler explains that in Plato’s view, “the source of the illusion is external to the deluded human beings, the agent for overcoming the illusion is also externalized” (Lawler 140). This indicates that a powerful being is needed to guide people away from the terrors of the real world. In The Matrix Morpheus tells Neo that “You are a slave bonded to a prison that you can not see, feel, touch, or hear.” This statement conveys to Plato’s idea of salvation. When people are in the Matrix they are being controlled by something but they do not realize it since they are unwilling to achieve a higher level of thinking. Neo, however, does reach this higher level of thinking when he dies and comes back to life. When this happens he sees everything as a matrix. He has freed himself from the bondage, which represents Kant’s idea that the exceptional being that Plato refers to is only a model to save ourselves. Lawler states that “The slaves can only be truly free if they free themselves. If freedom from shackles is handed to them without their own efforts, they quickly fall back into servitude.” (Lawler 141). Freedom is something that everyone has to find for themselves. It is something that can not be handed to us on a silver platter. When Neo starts to believe his is the One he is able to completely free himself from the Matrix. The philosophical views in The Matrix are expressed in James Lawler’s break down of the movie.
Mr. Farley I found a typo. PLEASE READ THIS ONE
James Lawler’s “We are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” analyzes the different philosophical ideas in The Matrix. In the section “Two Theories of Liberation,” Lawler explains that since The Matrix proposes two kinds of imprisonment, external and internal, there must be two theories on how to become free. Philosophy presents two explanations of salvation, one which is Platonic, and another which is Kantian. Lawler explains that in Plato’s view, “the source of the illusion is external to the deluded human beings, the agent for overcoming the illusion is also externalized” (Lawler 140). This indicates that a powerful being is needed to guide people away from the terrors of the real world. In The Matrix Morpheus tells Neo that “You are a slave bonded to a prison that you can not see, feel, touch, or hear.” This statement conveys to Plato’s idea of salvation. When people are in the Matrix they are being controlled by something but they do not realize it since they are unwilling to achieve a higher level of thinking. Neo, however, does reach this higher level of thinking when he dies and comes back to life. When this happens he sees everything as a matrix. He has freed himself from the bondage, which represents Kant’s idea that the exceptional being that Plato refers to is only a model to save ourselves. Lawler states that “The slaves can only be truly free if they free themselves. If freedom from shackles is handed to them without their own efforts, they quickly fall back into servitude.” (Lawler 141). Freedom is something that everyone has to find for themselves. It is something that can not be handed to us on a silver platter. When Neo starts to believe he is the One, he is able to completely free himself from the Matrix. The philosophical views in The Matrix are expressed in James Lawler’s break down of the movie.
The movie The Matrix contradicts the commonly accepted belief that the state in which humanity exists is true reality. The concepts of illusion in the movie, and the idea that “[this] supposed real world is hardly more than a shadow of the true reality,” (Lawler 129) reflect the thoughts of philosophers such as Plato. Plato compares the “reality” that humanity lives in to being confined to a dark cave, only seeing the shadows of other people from outside. One who his deceived his whole life, and knows not what lies outside the cave, could come to the reasonable assumption that the cave he resides in is, in fact, all there is to existence and true reality. If one person leaves the cave, and sees the rest of the world, “he would find himself confused and uncomprehending, and would want to turn back again to … the reality he understood.” (Myth of the Cave, Plato) In the movie, Neo goes through a similar experience when he ventures outside of his reality and into actual reality. The concept of the matrix is incomprehensible to him, at first. Eventually, he understands that “human beings [are] imprisoned in [their] own bodies, with only other such prisoners for company, and all unable to discern the real selves of one another.” (Myth of the Cave, Plato) Humans are “imprisoned” by the inability to perceive true reality through the five senses. The fact that “reality” is defined only by what humans can comprehend, limits the knowledge of true reality.
Cinematic genius is created when a movie is made with the right amount of intelligence needed to grasp the subject matter at hand. The Matrix mixes the right amount of radical special effects with an immense amount of allusions to great philosophers. It attacks the Kont philosophy of “self incurred tutelage,” as well as Descartes’ theory of “I doubt therefore I am” with a small Hindu perspective mixed in. With so many allusions to big names one could only imagine the amount of analysis produced from the release of this movie. James Lawler’s essay analyzes the movie by saying, “we human beings deceive ourselves. In projecting the world of our own experience, we attribute to it an independent reality and thereby alienate our own freedom.” Lawler goes on to describe how the Matrix is similar to Kont’s notion of “self incurred tutelage.” That our lack of creative human freedom is the very reason for the existence for the matrix, as Morpheus explains “like everyone else you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.” (The Matrix)
James Lawler’s philosophical analyzation of the Matrix is insightful towards the viewers’ interpretation of the movie and the ideas that go along with it. When Morpheus told Neo that he was “the one”, Neo challenged himself to give up the illusion of separation. For instance, the neo-Buddhist “Potential” explained to Neo that in order for any one to bend a spoon, it is crucial to realize the truth. Neo questioned the truth in the situation and the boy told him that it is himself bending, not the spoon. The ultimate truth is that nothing is separate and everything is one with us. Although Morpheus named Neo “the one”, it was not because he was better than all other beings; however, Neo must learn that he is “the one” because he was the first to truly understand that he is One with all existence. In order to become “the one”, Neo had to free his mind of fear, doubt and disbelief. Lawlor claims, “Your power, your reality, depends on your beliefs, and your beliefs are ultimately ruled by fear of death.” The world surrounding us involves the projections of human consciousness. Death is an illusion and a body cannot survive without a soul. If an individual allows their mind to go into a state of a higher consciousness, they will realize that all is one and overcome their fears. Immanuel Kant argues that no one can save an individual except for the individual itself. According to the Matrix, the only way to overcome a fear is to truly understand the truth which can only be accomplished by “the one”.
James Lawler’s “I Am (the) One!” greatly annotates the Matrix and reveals the movies correlation to many powerful philosophies. Until Neo was confronted with the Matrix, he perceived the life he lived to be reality. He at times experienced Cartesian Doubt in his dreams and began to question true reality. When he was reborn into the Matrix, he began to develop an understanding for Kant’s theory of creating the “Highest Good.” The Highest Good is merely a creation of a world combining individual freedom and happiness. They only way to inevitably adjust to the Highest Good is by living ones life by adapting as well as possible to the circumstances provided. Neo found it somewhat hard adapting to this new reality, for the fear that was instilled inside him. At first Neo allowed for fear to govern his actions. He soon learned to control and overcome his fears by discovering the exhilaration of knowingly living in ones fantasies. When Neo fails the jump in the reality Construct Morpheus tells him that, “[He] must let it all go…[he must] free [his] mind.” He discovers the key to uncovering powers is by releasing fear. This ties into Kant’s Postulates of Morality, most particularly that of freedom. The Postulates instruct beings to, “follow through on [their] mission in life, which is to aid in creating the world of Highest Good.” Neo embraces the Postulate of Freedom by rejecting an overseeing power that governs him, and by freeing his mind. In freeing his mind he eliminated fear and doubt. This was exemplified when Neo was shot and thought to be dead. Through a rejection of fear and acknowledgement of moral choice, Neo reawakens and finds himself fully adapted and enlightened within the Matrix.
A fascinating aspect of James Lawler's analysis of “The Matrix” and how it relates to Kantian philosophy is the complete falseness and unreliability of what we perceive as reality. People are trapped by the limits of our physical senses, blind to what is extremely large and extremely small, far outside of us and deep inside us, and to things that cannot be described by their relationship to things we already know. The very fact that we live inside the universe impedes our ability to view it objectively. Lawler brings up Copernicus's astronomical revolution as an example, where the world seems flat until seen from space. One wonders how much more we cannot know, simply because of our separated, distinct realities inside ourselves, where one event can seem completely different from the viewpoints of two different people (is one right? Are both right? Are neither right? It is impossible to know for certain, but the answer is usually decided by the majority.) In the world inside the matrix, people are content enough with what they know that they barely question what they do not know; the only clues that their world is an illusion are small “glitches” like deja vu and the people that are able to escape it. Even Morpheus's followers only identify the world with the comatose human batteries as reality because of its relationship to the matrix. It is still possible that there is an even higher level of reality and truth, one of total unity, as the Hindu religion hypothesizes. Nevertheless, until Kant's vision of freedom and "humans acting on the basis of their true unity" (Lawler 8)becomes part of life, people will remain, as in the matrix, trapped in their separate, self-centered worlds, where they construct their own reality in accordance with what they choose to believe.
One captivating aspect of James Lawler’s “We Are (the) One!” paper is his illustration of obscure and clear reality. Lawler writes, “The world we see and feel around us involves the projections of human consciousness. In the Matrix, there are two worlds with one singular reality that can only be perceived through true inner enlightenment. Lawler alludes to what Morpheous struggles to instill in Neo, that reality as the average man knows it is simply a projection of ignorant ideals. The ultimate form of said ignorance materializes in the conception that reality as apprehended by the five senses is unquestionably certain. People attribute reality to their experiences in life, but like Neo pre-enlightenment, they fail to recognize that humans are limited n their abilities and understanding. Getting Neo to realize these limitations and the concept of questionable reality proves fairly difficult a task for Morpheous. Lawler notes, “We human beings deceive ourselves!” Neo finds himself wrestling with his own deception and inner craving for simplicity when Morpheous manifests the paramount decision of choosing his own reality. He offers Neo a red pill and a blue pill, the red will thrown Neo into actual reality and opens his eyes to enlightenment, and the blue would return him to incomplex reality, or the Matrix. Neo chooses the red pill and ultimately rids himself of self–incurred ignorance. In agreement with Lawler’s exclamation, Neo could have chosen to return to life as he knew it before and went about his days blind to true freedom as an enlightened individual, but he chooses to free himself of benightedness. This poses the ever debated question of which world is truly greater. For one to formally answer, they would have to consider their definition of freedom and if ignorance is truly bliss.
“We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” by James Lawler, helps to clarify many mysteries presented to the audience after watching the Matrix. The driving force behind the movie is the process of becoming enlightened as Neo transitions from the Matrix, or the fabricated world, to reality upon the Nebuchadnezzar. In the section entitled “What is Reality,” Lawler describes Kant's ideal that the ultimate moral choice is creating “the Highest Good.” This is the creation of a world that consists of complete freedom and happiness. However, such a world is nearly impossible to establish due to the fact that one person may interpret being free and content entirely different than another person. Lawler states, “[The last remaining possibility] is to live one's own separate egotistical life by adapting as well as possible to the external circumstances of one's existence.” This means that because a perfect world is far out of reach for any human living in the illusion of the “Matrix,” one can only achieve the highest level of beatitude by conforming to the things around him or her. Throughout the movie, Neo undergoes various stages of consciousness. The largest decision he had to make was deciding between the red pill, reality, or the blue pill, life in the matrix. Is “the Highest Good” enough for one to be happy? In essence, is ignorance bliss? After briefly thinking this over, Neo swallows the red pill and begins his transformation. At one point, after he has already been exposed to reality, he revisits the matrix with Morpheus and Trinity. As they drive, Neo stares at a restaurant and says to Trinity with prostration, “I used to eat there.” This process of reflecting on life before becoming enlightened illustrates the progression of transforming into a “pure being.” By the end of the movie Neo reaches that point of realization as he looks down the hall towards the agents. All separateness is gone. All is one and everything previously thought of as a separate egotistical being is now thought of as nothing more than a manipulation of the same energy. At this point in the movie, Neo confirms the true reality of the matrix and the real world.
One fascinating element found within James Lawler’s analysis of “The Matrix” is the constant theme of one’s mind creating the illusion of life. “We human beings deceive ourselves” (Lawler 138). This theory is a major theme to the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and the Hindu ideals of the Upanishads. “The Matrix” takes this enlightened idea and portrays it to the masses through the use of science fiction. Characters such as Morpheus, Trinity and Neo have as Kant would say have released themselves from a “self-incurred tutelage.” They have surpassed two of the three levels of consciousness to ultimately reach “pure being” and see the world for what it really is. They have as Morpheus told Neo to, freed their minds, and discovered the truth. This truth is defined by Lawler as that “the world around us is a mere appearance” and “the so-called objective properties of physics rest on subjective human projections” (Lawler 138).
In James Lawler’s “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” he exemplifies many Romantic principles and beliefs. Romantics confront and strive to abolish their fear of death. In The Matrix Neo must also face the fear of death and control its illusion in order to overcome all thoughts of doubt and disbelief. In Lawler’s explication he recognizes that Neo is a Romantic thinker in his thoughts and actions. Lawler writes, “The key to the realization of Neo’s destiny consists in his rejection to the fear of death” (Lawler 148). Neo needs to obliterate the ultimate fear of death in order to be “the One” just as Romantics must in order to become enlightened. James Lawler identifies the similarities between the Neo, the protagonist in The Matrix, and Romantic philosophy in his explication “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains how to Manipulate the Matrix”.
James Lawlor's "We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix" analyzes the many different philosophical and religious interpretations illustrated in the science fiction movie the Matrix. Throughout the movie Neo's search for the true identity of life delineates the search for the understanding of the true world seen only by few. The few people in the Matrix that actually understand and see the world as it truly exists are just like the Enlightened individuals in the Buddhist religion. When Neo goes to see the Oracle he meets a child bending a spoon. The child tells Neo "Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead ...only try to realize the truth." "What is the truth?" asks Neo. "There is no spoon...Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends; it is only yourself." (Lawlor, 147). Being connected with the "Self" affix the Buddhist idea of the unity of all and all things are one. Neo being "the One" has the power to understand and see reality for what it consists of and makes the choice to leave the dream world of the Matrix.
In James Lawler’s “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix,” various ideas reflected in the Matrix are explained by comparing them to the thoughts of philosophers. Kant believes that in order to become enlightened, one must bring the enlightenment upon themselves. This idea is constantly depicted in The Matrix, first when Neo must choose whether to take the blue or red pill. By taking the red pill, the truth will be revealed to him, and the blue pill will send him back into ignorance. Neo chooses to be enlightened, but he must make further choices in order to become completely knowledgeable. No matter how much Morpheus tries to convince Neo that he is “the One,” Neo cannot actually be the One until he is fully enlightened, and in order to do so, he needs to be open to learning. Lawler compares this idea to slavery, by stating that “if freedom is handed to them without their own efforts, they will quickly fall back into servitude.” Not only can this belief be connected to those of Kant, but also to the ideas of Plato. In “The Myth of the Cave,” Plato reveals that if one person is freed from the cave and becomes enlightened, “everything he said to the prisoners would be unintelligible to those people whose language had reference only to shadows and echoes.” It is impossible for one to truly become enlightened without having experienced enlightenment for himself.
James Lawler analyzes many philosophies of “The Matrix” in “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix”. Particularly, he states that “the world of the Matrix is a world of fear”. The understanding of an average human being is that everyone is a “separate physical being” and is “vulnerable”. However, the basis for all fear is death. As Lawler explains, since each human perceives themselves as separate beings, they see death as “the ultimate reality”. Although Morpheus and his followers are enlightened, they still hold some fear. For example, Cypher tells Neo whenever he sees an Agent, the only thing he can do is run. Despite this rule, at the end of the film Neo instead stands up to Agent Smith. He lets go of his fear of death and is shot by Agent Smith, but because he frees himself from this fear, he as well rises above it. Morpheus had earlier explained to Neo that the body believes what the mind also does. Since Neo no longer believes in the fear of death or death itself, he can come back to life to defeat the Agents. Furthermore, Neo’s reincarnation is an influence of the Buddhism levels of enlightenment. Buddhism asserts that the being will be reincarnated until the highest level of pure being is reached. When Neo had originally gone to the Oracle, the woman had told him that he was “waiting for something... your next life, maybe”. Once Neo had died, his disbelief in death led him to be brought back and into his next life as the One. James Lawler’s examination of “The Matrix” shows that the Matrix has many major flaws, but only pure beings that can see them can use the flaws to their advantage to destroy it.
Kant’s ideas about enlightenment through the concept of a universal machine to which all persons are connected is evident in the movie The Matrix. Although many ideas from the philosophy are evident, one particular element stands out—his concept of being enlightened. The Kantian principle about the pace of Enlightenment is evident in the Matrix when Morpheus, an enlightened person, explains to Neo that most people are not ready to be enlightened. The average person has to live in blindness for the sake of their sanity because their minds are not yet capable of understanding reality. It is not possible to force Enlightenment upon civilians because of this weakness. Kant believes that Enlightenment cannot happen over night but only over a long period of time in which people must be adjusted to the change slowly through education. James Lawler also makes the distinction of Kantian philosophy in The Matrix through his essay “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix”. One interesting aspect of his analysis is “Two Theories of Liberation”; here Lawler relates Kant, Christianity and The Matrix. "The One" is not the only one capable of realizing what the Matrix actually entails, but is an example to others of their “inner God-like potential to save [themselves]”(Lawler). Kant believed the idea of Jesus to be the same. Neo and Jesus are not the only people able to see the Matrix and life for what it is, but simply the first. Their ability to do so is the proof that it is possible and will be accomplished by others. Kant views the power of the individual to be supreme when they acheive enlightenment.
Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of enlightenment that only one can free oneself is prominent in the movie The Matrix. The first example of this in The Matrix is when Trinity tells Neo the answer “will find you if you want it to”. In “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” by James Lawler, the author writes, “This self-liberation of humanity is the destiny that each of us must discover for himself or herself.” In other words, the author is portraying Kant’s philosophy; however this does not mean there cannot be teachers who will show Neo the way. One of his teachers is Morpheus who shows Neo the first step of self-liberation and offers Neo the red or blue pill. Morpheus cannot force Neo to take the red pill to become enlightened; however he can show him the option. This is also true for the Oracle. She cannot tell Neo whose life he will choose to save, Morpheus’ or his own but she gives him the facts in order for him to decide for himself. Morpheus explains this by telling Neo, “I can only show you the door. You’re the one who has to walk through it.” Neo cannot be enlightened, regardless of the truth he is told, until he frees himself. Enlightenment can only come to one who makes the choices to experience it.
The “real world” is truly just an illusion. Nothing “important” matters in this world because nothing is genuine. In the movie The Matrix, Neo and the other characters are offered a blue or red pill by Morpheus. Choosing a pill determines one’s fate and personal enlightenment. The blue pill enters a person into a zone of make believe and fantasy. This world is an “implication [...] that [humans] choose [their] own illusion”; this illusion is called the Matrix (Lawler 140). Underneath this sugar coated society is a deep world where only one, single human civilization still survives. This is the world seen with the help of the red pill. To see this world, one must “alienate [his or her] own freedom” (Lawler 139). Most humans do not know of the ‘pill options’ and live inside the ignorant bliss of The Matrix. The Matrix is a conflicted world filled with war and drama. The original Matrix was one of peace, but the humans rejected “the idea of the perfect world” (Lawler 140). Kant believes that people believe in the world of conflict, even though humans do not know for certain if this world, or even society itself, is real or not. Every person who has escaped the ‘unaware world’ of The Matrix has an idea of what the truth is, and they know that the majority of the human race believes in the false reality (the world of the ‘blue pill’). The people outside of The Matrix are on their way to becoming enlightened. They see that everything is Brahman, all is One, and they all believe that death is a power of the mind. “‘The mind makes it real.’ […] ‘The body cannot live without the mind’” (Matrix, Lawler 148). The mind controls all of the aspects in this uneducated society, therefore humans have all the power in the world to “manipulate the Matrix” (Lawler 152). Giving up on a perfect world is simple, living in the deep world of The Matrix today is difficult, but living beyond The Matrix is the REAL task of a human.
"Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world?...It was a disaster" The Matrix is a virtual reality designed by machines to encapsulate humans and make them imagine that they are living their lives, when in fact they are being used to power machines in the real world through bio-thermal exhaust. The first Matrix failed because of it being too perfect, and as such the human mind could not believe it and as such "whole crops died out." This failure reflects that the mind is in a self-imposed misery. However, this "misery" can be changed if the mind is enlightened. The same is evident in the real world as one cannot accept perfection if one cannot attain it. In James Lawler's series of
explications detailing the philosophy of "the Matrix", "We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix", Lawler comes to the
conclusion in the film that unconsciously humanity is "instictively in charge of the program" and that the perfect Matrix could never have worked.There is however a way that it could exist, through enlightenment or the red pill. By taking the red pill, the secrets of the Matrix are revealed and even the second Matrix can become perfect for oneself. Thus perfection is defined by the collective unconscious, but one can achieve one's own perfection to become superhuman.
^ urr. phil skokos. or luke. so annoying.
In James Lawlor’s explication We are (the) One!, he introduces the idea of absolute freedom. This freedom is the highest form of freedom one can achieve. It involves freeing ones mind of fear and separateness. When this is accomplished the body itself can achieve anything it sets out to do. In the Matrix for example, before Neo reaches absolute freedom he is told to jump from one building to the next in a simulate version of the Matrix. He doesn’t reach the other building because of the fear of falling which in the end only causes him to fall. When Neo goes to see the Oracle he meets a boy in the waiting room. This boy is able to bend a spoon. Neo tries but fails at his attempt to bend the spoon. The boy then explains to him, “Do not try to bend the spoon. That’s impossible…You’ll see, that it is not the spoon that bends; it is only yourself.” The idea that all is one is part of what allows Neo to reach absolute freedom. In the end, he is nearly killed by Agent Smith but miraculously comes back to life. Grasping the idea that he is not dead releases all fear of dying. Neo then goes on to beat Agent Smith simply because he realizes that he is Agent Smith. It is here that he reaches absolute freedom and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar realizes he is the one.
The Matrix, an astounding science fiction film, illustrates a future in which all reality perceived by humans is merely an illusion created to “occupy the mind” (Lawler 139). James Lawler defines this virtual reality called the Matrix as a “world of fear” (Lawler 147). One way to escape this world is by consuming a red pill which symbolizes the process of enlightenment. Cypher, an individual enlightened by the red pill, does not appreciate the knowledge of true reality like the others; instead, he fears it just like some fear the Matrix. Cypher reveals his opinion to Morpheus when declaring, “If you would have told us the truth, we would-a told you to shove that red pill right up your ass!” (Lawler 143-144). In “Kant’s Ethical Thought,” Allen W. Wood expresses a similar idea that “enlightenment is a duty,” but there is a “fear of the dangers that come with the emancipation of reason” (Wood 306). Lawler understands the concept of the controlling element of fear, believing that by overcoming this fear, one can continue on the path to comprehending all reality. Morpheus captures all of these concepts in the most complete and fundamental manner when saying, “You have to let it all go. Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind” (Lawler 147). Then, only then, one may experience true reality, not tainted by the influence or opinions of others, simply as it is.
In James Lawler’s “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix,” he explains ideas about reality. At the beginning of the movie, Neo cannot decipher his dreams from what he considers reality. This causes him to question what “real” is. Morpheus explains that real is anything interpreted by the brain. Lawler says that, “We human beings deceive ourselves.” This means that humans choose to distribute independent realities to objects, and then become attached to these ideas. For example, Neo is only able to bend the spoon after he comes to the realization that the spoon does not possess its own identity. In order to bend the spoon, he must bend himself. This follows Spinoza’s idea that “All is one.” The section in Lawler’s explication entitled “Philosophical Implication of Copernicus’s Revolution in Astronomy,” he relates the Copernican Revolution to Neo’s journey towards enlightenment. Lawler relates Aristotle to those who live in the Matrix and believe what they see. These people have nothing to compare their “world” to, so their ideas seem valid. Lawler explains, “...we must accept the idea that the ‘world’ as we actually perceive it is an illusion.” Similarly, Plato’s myth of the cave discusses how people react when they are told that “reality” is not what they think it is. Most will not believe the enlightened man, but some will choose to take a risk to find the truth. In the film, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar search for those who seek truth and freedom. Neo makes this choice by taking the red pill. Cypher, who takes the same pill, decides that he would rather live in ignorance in the Matrix. As Lawler explains, Cypher has his own perception of truth. He would rather forget the truth because it is simpler than the reality he is unable to face.
One of the interesting aspects used by John Lawler in his analysis of “The Matrix” and its relation to Kantian philosophy is the feeling of doubt and unreliability in what people may perceive to be reality. Within a person’s life reality is what our own physical senses allow people to experience, but reality can potentially be more then anyone could ever imagine. The truth is that with people being limited to five senses not all of reality can necessarily be revealed to humanity. In “The Matrix” the lives in which people care and stress so much about, are in fact not really their lives at all. When Morpheus gives a select few people the choice to discover the true reality or stay in a world of illusions, he is giving them the power to decide their destiny. One can either live in a fake world that consists of happiness and false perceptions, or live in reality which may not be as pleasant, but gives one the ability to see the world from a different view. Some believe that reality is the only way in which one should live, while others believe the world of so called illusions is not illusions at all but a different world. Cypher feels that a fake world is better then a reality that is hard to live in and states “If you would have told us the truth, we would-a told you to shove that red pill right up your ass!” (John Lawler Essay/Matrix) Unlike Cypher, Morpheus feels that the desire to free humanity from its bondage of living in a false world makes reality all worth it. People today can not know whether our world is a true reality or one of illusions as portrayed in the movie. While the answer may be never found the question of reality will always remain.
An interesting feature of James Lawler’s analysis of “The Matrix” is the fact that humans may never understand what is real and what is not. In the film, the matrix is a dream world that humans perceive as reality. A main aspect of Kantian philosophy is that humans are prevented from reaching their full potential by their five senses. Kant believed that there was more in the world that humans were not aware of, because they could not detect it with their five senses. Morpheus has faith that Neo is The One, which viewers later learn is someone who has reached enlightenment and has a full understanding of reality. Before he met Morpheus, Neo was in the same scenario as the characters in Plato’s “Myth of the Cave.”The characters in the story live their entire lives facing a blank wall in a cave, only able to see the shadows on the wall. Eventually, one of the men broke free and saw the world outside of the cave for the first time. When he returned to spread the news, no one believed him because the cave was the only world they knew and it was their reality. “The Matrix” gave me a better understanding on how humans may never grasp the full extent of reality.
well i am not the flying spaghetti monster. i resent the implication that i would do such a thing.
James Lawler's in-depth analysis of philosophy as compared to the movie The Matrix, titled "We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix", clearly illustrates the main aspects of the theories of many famous philosophers; among these are Descartes and Immanuel Kant. However, an interesting theory made by Plato is tied in to much of the movie's plot, beginning when Neo swallows the red pill and begins his transition into his new life. In Plato's "The Myth of the Cave", it is said that if one person leaves the cave and sees the outside world for the first time, he or she is considered to be enlightened. If that person were to go back to the cave and share his new discoveries with his old companions in the cave, none of them would believe him. This is because one cannot truly be enlightened, or understand any new concepts unless they experience it themselves. This idea is constantly instituted each time Morpheus attempts to get Neo to "free his mind". In the scene where Morpheus and Neo fight, Morpheus says "C'mon, stop trying to hit me and hit me!" He constantly urges Neo to go one step further, to push himself just a little bit harder, to be able to reach a new level of accomplishment, or enlightenment. At the ending of the movie it is finally accepted that Neo is "the One", but he is only so because he finally was able to free his mind and allow himself to go one step further in reaching a level of enlightenment and self-fulfillment. In the section of Lawler's essay entitled "Two Theories of Liberation", Lawler strengthens this point and also adds in Kantian aspects when he says "the slaves can only be free if they free themselves". By freeing themselves, the slaves Lawler speaks of are one step closer to breaking away from Kant's "self-incurred tutelage" and reaching Plato's "enlightenment".
James Lawlor’s explication titled “We are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix”, thoroughly explains the philosophy of The Matrix. It not only clarifies, but it gives a whole new approach to the conception of being “the One”. As Lawlor explains, an egotist would believe that he is the center of his own universe, that he is “the One”. Lawlor says,” other beings have the power to limit us from realizing desires. Other beings too act as if they are ‘the One’” (Lawlor 142). This forms an opposition of humanity. A prominent part of the film is realizing that Neo is in fact “the One”. However, this meaning is different from an egotist’s perception. It is in fact a solution to the contradictory idea of an egotist. In The Matrix, realizing Neo is “the One” means not realizing he is a savior-like special being, but the first to completely and freely believe Spinoza’s idea that all is one. Morpheus states, “There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” That is the difference between Neo and the other crewmembers such as Morpheus and Trinity. They know what must happen in order to be “the One”, but are not yet capable of releasing all fear and doubt. The crewmembers’ rule of running when encountered by an “agent” clearly shows fear in their mind. However, when Neo is encountered by an “agent” and faces him to fight him, not only does he relinquish his fear of their power, but he releases his fear of death in freely choosing to save Morpheus’s life. This overcoming of fear and uncertainty, and realizing the unity of the matrix, is what made Neo the first to see that all is one and become “the One”.
In James Lawler’s, “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix”, humanity’s ethics and morals are questioned. Before the Matrix was a place of strife and suffering, a choice was made. Humanity could have chosen the “perfect world,” but this was denied by the people. Agent Smith confirms this by saying, “Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost” (Wachowski). If people supposedly thrive for success and happiness, why refuse this ideal illusion? The flawed matrix is chosen instinctively because humans cannot accept a world with no obstacles or despair. Agent Smith agrees by stating, “[A]s a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery” (Wachowski). It is assumed that in humanity, one must first experience suffering and hardships before finding contentment. This torment is built from humanity’s need of competition; this prevents the world from understanding pure happiness. People falsely believe that in order to find success, one must be better than the rest. Unfortunately this causes the misfortune faced by humankind. Like Cypher, people attempt to deny the truth, forcing themselves to believe lies. James Lawler states, “We human beings deceive ourselves” (Lawler 139). As a unit, humans choose what they want to believe in, causing the truth to be hidden in a sea of never-ending deception. The belief that competition leads to pleasure prevents Enlightenment from freeing one’s mind. If humans let their minds embrace the truth, they would realize happiness is within reach. Enlightenment reveals truth, which in this case means that the only opponent one faces will forever be his/herself. This idea will unleash unlimited bliss throughout humanity, revealing a peaceful and compassionate people.
James Lawler examines The Matrix from a philosophical rather than science fiction standpoint in his series of essays “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix.” In his essays Lawler explains how The Matrix exemplifies Kant’s thoughts on philosophical Enlightenment, an “interpretation of the idea of salvation.” In one of the final scenes of the film, Neo is pronounced dead by one of the AI controllers. Soon after, he returns in his next life as the One. The viewer is then given the opportunity to view the “world” through Neo’s new eyes, and he sees it for what it really is, an infinite number of rows and columns of virtual figures. This point in the movie represents Neo’s Enlightenment, as Lawler describes as fully understanding the truth of being “One with all existence.” Morpheus realizes this powerful moment of illumination as he says to Tank, “He is the One.”
James Lawler’s, We Are (the) One!, portrays Kantian philosophies and ideas and how they relate to the movie The Matrix. The passage I Am the One shows the Kantian philosophy of human egotism. Human beings, almost through birth, seem to contain egotistical and separatist beliefs about themselves. People tend to view themselves as special and tend to obsess mostly on their needs. By believing they are separate humans trap themselves in a world of completely ignorance, not wanting to hear the philosophies of others. In contradiction, other people with the same egotism and “special” notion possess the power to limit the power of another “special” person making that person seem ordinary. Immanuel Kant teaches that every person possesses the power to limit the potential of others because humanity is all one. In The Matrix, there is the artificial world where humans live believing they are separate (matrix) and the reality where humans believe they are a unity. “There is the world of separate independent and competing egos, and the world of the share humanity (Lawler 142).” Two pills represent these worlds the red and the blue pill. The red pill represents enlightenment and human beings coming to the realization that they are one. On the other hand, the blue pill represents humans suppressing themselves in ignorance believing they are separate. These pills bring up the philosophical question of whether or not ignorance really is bliss. In addition, in the movie the machines dress up as humans and “guard” the matrix. During one scene Neo is able to leap into one of the machines and take over that machines body. Neo, being enlightened, realizes that he and the machine are not unique from each other. Neo realizes that he can become the machine because he is the machine. We Are (the) One!, portrays numerous Kantian philosophies and how they relate to The Matrix.
The Matrix is a computer generated dream world designed to restrain human beings while machines extract bio-energy to fuel themselves. Most human beings know the Matrix as real. They have lived there all their lives and do not know any different. This idea of artificial imprisonment is similar to ideas in Plato’s Myth of the Cave. A group of people have spent their whole lives in a dark cave chained to walls and unable to move at all. This is similar to the people stored in endless columns of cocoons while their minds are wired to the Matrix. The people in the Matrix accept what they see to be reality just as the people chained in the cave believe the shadows they see to be reality. When one person is able free himself from the chains and see the world for what it is, he realizes these shadows seen by everyone else are not real and that he can perceive the true reality. When Neo finally becomes the One and stands up to face the agents in the Matrix, he sees streams of green code everywhere. He is able to see the Matrix for what it truly is. James Lawler writes in his article that the turning point in the movie is when Neo decides to face an Agent one on one. When he chooses to do this, he overcomes the fear that controls all people in and out of the Matrix: the fear of death. Neo realizes that death itself is an illusion and through this realization is able to cheat death. This ties into what Plato writes in his myth. If a man is able to free himself from his bondage and see the world for what it is, then he will no longer be full of fear.
James Lawler writes in "We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix" of how, from a Kantian perspective, humans in the film "The Matrix" are willingly placing themselves in positions of servitude. The movie explains how humans are sources of energy for the Matrix, which is a program that involves every human's consciousness and serves as a universal dream that they all experience. They are trapped in a world that is nothing more than an illusion, fully believing it to be reality. "Who is responsible for this hoax perpetrated on the human audience?" (Lawler 138). Kant proposes that it is, in fact, not a higher power that traps humans. Instead, his belief is that people made the choice to put themselves in this situation, thus leading to the state they are in now, where the illusion they chose to have deceives them day after day. If awoken from the Matrix, there is unavoidable disappointment to be found in the condition the world is in. There is a small selection of people, led by Morpheus, who are attempting to end the Matrix and free humanity. Cypher, a member in this group, ends up missing the life he lived when inside the Matrix, where he had no knowledge of how things really were and was fed lie and lie to keep him happy. During an attempt to annihilate Morpheus and his followers, Cypher makes a comment that, "If (Morpheus) would have told us the truth, we would-a told you to shove that red pill right up your ass!". Cypher would rather follow by the saying "Ignorance is a bliss" than face the harsh truth of reality, which is similar to the way humans thought before being reduced to slaves of the Matrix. Because they wanted to live a life where they didn't need to worry about such things, they willingly gave up their freedom to the program and became prisoners to their desire of ignorance.
James Lawler's analysis of “The Matrix” relates to Kantian philosophy because it demonstrates how one perceives reality. People can use only what they are given, which is the five senses: touch, scent, sight, sound and taste. The question that one must answer is whether or not there are other senses that one just can not describe. In “The Matrix” there are two worlds that function in everyday lives. The matrix is a world as we live, where everything appears to be normal and the matrix is the world in which it must be perceived through true belief and understanding in enlightenment. Morpheus describes the Matrix as being “everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth” (The Matrix). One begins to wonder how much more is left for one to find out? Is there anymore to find out, and if so what is it? When inside the Matrix, it is really no different then being any other place. It is actually even hard to tell when you are in the Matrix. The only real way to tell is if any glitches are present. If déjà vu occurs, usually it is a glitch in the Matrix. Neo happens to see déjà vu while in the Matrix, when a black cat appears and then reappears right after. As soon as this occurs, the others know exactly what is wrong. The question will always be there whether there is any higher level of knowledge based on reality or truth; or what one is seeing is reality or an illusion. In James Lawler’s “We Are (the) One!” paper, he states “If the first is reality, then the second must be an illusion. If we believe that the matrix or morality is real, the matrix of separation must be an illusion” (Lawler 143).
In James Lawlor's analysis "We are One" of the pop culture phenomenon, The Matrix, the theme of unity through truth is discussed. In the section "The Postulate of God" it is dicussed that in order to reach individuals highest goals they must stop being seperated and tuneint the reality of their moral Oneness. One may suggest that this state of mora oneness can also be related to the Hindu belief in Brahman. In the scene of the Matrix, where a young boy with a shaved head (giving the appearance of a modern-day Buddha) enlightens Neo through bending a spoon, this belief is illustrated. The boy suggests that instead of trying to bend the spoon, Neo must realize through truth that there is no spoon thus showing that it is not the spoon that bends, it is just Neo.This teaches Neo as well as demonstrates to the audience that if we give up the illusion of things being seperate humans will acheive god-like power and fully undestand the truth.
James Lawlor analyzes The Matrix from a philosophical standpoint rather than analyzing it as a form of entertainment. He interprets the philosophical elements of The Matrix in his essay “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix”. He stresses Cartesian points throughout his essay relating to the movie. Everybody aboard the Nebuchadnezzar wanted to be in the “real world” except Cypher. Cypher wanted to be back in the Matrix because he wanted to be “free”. He believed that the Matrix was in fact real stating, “I think the Matrix could be more real than this world: All I do is pull the plug here. But there, you have to watch Apoc die.” (The Matrix/We Are (the) One) Descartes stated how only one can determine what is real or not. Cypher determined that the Matrix was real; however, the rest of the crew thought their life onboard the Nebuchadnezzar was real.
While analyzing The Matrix, James Lawler focuses on the philosophical aspects of the film. He defines the meaning of the matrix from the Kantian perspective. The matrix is the "real" world where people live in both fear and egotism. Inhabitants of the matrix are naive to the choice between a world of war and suffering and a world of peace and happiness. Unlike the Cartesian perspective, which suggests that some malicious demon fools mankind, Kant believed that mankind foolishly chooses to live in an illusory world because of egotism and fear. Kant explains that an external being does not fool mankind, but "We human beings decieve ourselves." (Lawler 139) Lawler continues saying "The world we see and feel around us involves the projections of human consciousness. It is not the independently existing reality it appears to be." (Lawler 139) Kant believed that one has the power to free his or her self from this illusion and enter into the real world outside the matrix, where freedom, truth, and humanity can be found. By choosing to follow his inner curiosity, Neo takes the red pill and enters into Reality, to discover how to liberate himself from the bondages of the matrix. Entering this Reality causes confusion at first, primarily because Neo must comprehend what distinguishes this new freedom from liberty in the matrix. Cypher's misconception of this liberation causes him to ultimately rebel against morpheous's plan, however, Neo strives to enlighten and liberate himself of his original mindset. He must free his mind of fear and doubt. Unlike the matrix which stresses that "Your power, your reality, and your beliefs are ultimately ruled by fear of death", Neo must remove all doubt which causes limitation on the being. (Lawler 151) Once Neo realizes his destiny in rejecting fear of encountering death, he is able to not only save Morpheous, but raise himself from the dead. In order for there to be true happiness, those of the Reality must become united. When losing separation and becoming one with everything and everyone, one can experience the peace that follows. Limitation no longer exsists, as proved by the Budda-like figure in the movie that is able to bend the spoon. When looking at the spoon, it is obvious that the spoon limits human ablilty, as one can not bend a spoon with his or her mind. But when one joins the spoon, he or she will realize that it is not the spoon bending, but the individual bending. By choosing to enlighten himself and exit the ignorance of the matrix, Neo fulfills his destiny and not only becomes a savior, but also a teacher to those who desire to accellerate more in knowledge than what is provided in the matrix.
In his work “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” James Lawler exemplifies a connection between numerous scenes in the film, The Matrix with the myths and beliefs of famous philosophers Plato and Kant. The twelve sections of Lawler’s explication each poses a unique view on the film along with support of philosophy. In the beginning of the film, the main character Neo is given an opportunity to witness the reality in which he was previously blinded from. Plato’s “Myth of the Cave” is illustrated through an early scene with Morpheus and Neo; Neo is offered a choice of two pills: one representing the chance to become enlightened, the other is to continue living with ignorance. As expected, Neo enters the reality of enlightenment. Similar to Plato’s myth, a world of enlightenment is one without return. It is a world that can solely be understood by personal experience. In Lawler’s section named, “What is Reality?” he compares the character Cypher’s actions against Morpheus with the beliefs of Kant. “Morpheus’s vision of freedom and reality is the ultimate illusion, he concludes using rational empirical estimates to draw practical conclusions.” (Lawler, sect. 6). During the movie, Cypher betrays Morpheus and has dinner with Agent Smith. “You know, I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious,” (Cypher, Matrix). Cypher’s words relate to Kant’s beliefs, “So if you do not have the means of detecting it with a completely different sort of equipment its existence will remain unknown to you,” (Kant). As proven through the works of James Lawler, The Matrix is a film with a significant meaning towards the famous works of philosophers.
The movie The Matrix touches upon keystone philosophical points made throughout history. James Lawler’s 'We are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix interprets The Matrix' through assessing the philosophical viewpoints of both Plato as well as Emmanuel Kant One valid idea that Lawler explains in his piece describes how The Matrix involves two theories of liberation. In this case, the brainwashed, sheltered humans need to be liberated from The Matrix, and brought to the salvation of reality. Plato’s theory of liberation finds that one person, an extraordinary person, is necessary to save humanity. This exceptional human would be the one to drive the world from ignorance sustained through the Matrix into reality in order to experience the world in a new light. As Morpheus and his crew feel that Neo is “the One”, or the individual with the capacity to enlighten the ignorant, they do not give up until Neo is found to be “the One that predominates in the minds of the characters of the film until as such tradition expectations are fully overturned in the final scene of the film” (Lawler 140). In summation, Platonic belief finds salvation to come through an exceptional being capable of freeing the minds of the masses. In contrast, Kant makes the claim, “no one can save us but we ourselves” (Lawler 141). He believes that one must look inside oneself in order to come to the point of true liberation. One can only be truly free if they are to free themselves, because if someone were to free an individual, the liberated would feel obligated to repay the liberator. All of the people inside the Matrix still face fear, doubt and disbelief; therefore, they must free themselves from the chains and shackles they are stuck in to escape the dream world they think they are living in. Morpheus seems to accept the Kantian view in that he states, “I can only show you the door, it is you that has to open it”(Morpheus, Matrix). In accordance with Kant’s philosophy, self liberation is the key to true salvation. The Matrix calls into question these contrasting theories of liberation.
A section of James Lawler’s “We are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” entitled “Two Matrices” describes how humanity excels more from the misery of other humans than from the universal peace and happiness of the human race. Rather than humans feeling comfort and calmness from universal tranquility they feel instead piercing discomfort. Humanity finds solace in knowing that others suffer and are miserable. The Matrix captures this essence of internal unrest among the human race in the describing of the two versions of the Matrix. The cold, seemingly invincible Agent Smith revealed in private to Morpheus that the Matrix that they experience is the second version of a program that failed miserably. Agent Smith described it as “a perfect human world… where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost” (The Matrix). This entailed that humans were better suited in a world in which there is much suffering and woe than in a world where peace was universal. Such a concept finds a connection to the Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a man who held the belief that civilization corrupts the naturally wholesome human race. This comes into play in that as a result of societal changes over time, humans have become more comfortable in a world rife with suffering than a world without such anguish. Humanity is instinctively driven to reject the “perfect” first Matrix because it represents a new world, one far different than the civilization they had known previous to the rise to power of the artificial intelligence robots. As Agent Smith so eloquently summarized, “The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization” (The Matrix). In forcing the recreation of the Matrix to become the “peak of civilization”, a world rampant with pain and torment, “civilized” humanity defines itself as a race that has evolved to become at ease with the suffering of the world. Rousseau’s theory that civilization represses natural instinct and in turn dehumanizes humanity holds prevalence in The Matrix in the creation of the two matrices.
ok. so you're not the flying spaghetti monster but you can't just have a normal name? hmm... someone thinks they're really cool.
it's all good. just let him be.
Mr. Farley,
Sorry this is a day late. I have no excuse as to why except that I waited to the last minute to read your post and discover the actual due date, which I believed to be tonight. Also I am fully aware that you may not even bother to read this.
Joe Zona
One key point of The Matrix explained in James Lawler’s essay “We Are (the) One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” is man’s perception of true reality. Lawler explains that people who believe in the principals of morality must choose from two different forms of reality. “There is the world of separate independent and competing egos, and the world of shared humanity” (Lawler, 5). The world of “separate independent and competing egos” is represented by the Matrix itself and the world of “shared humanity” represents the real world. The choice humans must make, symbolized in the film by the red and blue pills, is made to satisfy the desire for what Kant refers to as “the Highest Good.” “The Highest Good is the creation of a world that combines freedom and happiness” (Lawler, 6). There is no correct answer to which of these two worlds truly has the Highest Good. It is up to the people to decide. The decision is not unanimous for the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Cypher’s experiences in the real world have led him to decide that the Matrix provides the Highest Good. He believes that “ignorance is bliss” as shown in the film. “If I have to choose between [the real world] and the Matrix, I choose the Matrix” (Cypher, The Matrix). His selfish beliefs contradict with the rest of the crew, and his betrayal costs him his life. Although he is disagreed with in the film the viewer has to wonder if ignorance is truly bliss. The answer to that is the same as the question of which world is the Highest Good. It depends on the characteristics of who is asking the question.
In “We are (the) One! Kant explains how to manipulate the Matrix” James Lawler explains how the philosopher Immanuel Kant’s ideas are integrated into the Matrix. In the section “The Postulates of Morality” Lawler discusses Kant’s postulates of morality and how they relate to the Matrix. The postulates are Freedom, God and Immortality. The postulates outline the beliefs needed to create the Highest Good, a world of freedom and happiness. The people of Highest Good in the Matrix are the ones who “can reach the promised land on Zion, the kingdom of heaven on Earth” (Lawler 145) and separates the real world from life within the Matrix. Lawler explains the postulate of freedom is a belief in human freedom putting aside physical, psychological and socio-economic laws because they inhibit the brain making it impossible to see beyond this world or the Matrix. The postulates of God and Immortality go hand-in-hand because when one realizes they are a god-like figure they have god-like abilities such as overcoming death. In the film Neo discovers he is “the One” he suddenly can overcome “seemingly external forces of nature and civilization” (Lawler 146). Lawler explains that people should be “morally committed” in order to achieve the Highest Good and give up fear of death.
Mr. Farley, I also procrastinated until the last day and realized that this is a day late. I remember in class on Tuesday that you told us it had to be finished by the time we came back from break which is why I waited until today. I am sorry and I understand if I get a late grade.
In “We Are the One! Kant Explains How to Manipulate the Matrix” James Lawler compares the doubt brought upon by Copernicus’ heliocentric beliefs to the choice between two matrices in the film The Matrix. Copernicus’ discovery that the Earth does in fact revolve around the sun defies the physical observations about the world that one can perceive through his or her senses. One’s senses also create the illusion that the universe is centered around himself or herself. This idea is called egotism. Buddhist beliefs also support this idea of egotism, saying that all creatures are different aspects of the conscience of a higher power and that separateness is merely an illusion created by one’s ego. Lawler continues to explain that all humans believing that they are the center of the universe will result in conflict and suffering. This represents the second matrix that human beings currently believe that they are living in. The first matrix created was a perfect world where all humans realized that they were unified and therefore experienced freedom from all suffering, similar to the Nirvana reached by Buddhists after they are enlightened. Humans rejected this dream because the subconsciously recognized the lack of separateness and it was unfamiliar to them. Because their senses deceived them into believing that the universe revolved around them, they instead were stuck in a dream world full of suffering and misery. One scene in the film that expands upon this point is when Neo is late for work and his boss tells him that he thinks he is special and that the rules do not apply to him. The boss explains “this company is one of the top software companies in the world because every single employee understands that they are part of a whole…either you choose to be at your desk on time from this day forward or you will find yourself another job,” (The Matrix). This scene symbolizes the two matrices. Neo must choose to work with the company as a whole and realize that he is no more special than anyone around him, representing the perfect world. His other option is to break out on his own and find another job where he can be more independent and break the rules, representing the second matrix.
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