Return to the Source - Philosophy and the Matrix

The Matrix is one of my favorite movies- took an immense amount oif noted on this- start with:

1. It is concerned with the superficiality of society

2. Similar to two Plato's allegory of the Cage - Descartes story of the evil deceivers.

4. Important quote: You are here because you know something, and what you know you cant explain, but you feel it.

5. Revelation comes in two ways a. God tells you b. a person figures it out on thier own.

5. The movie is a series of thought experiments

6. relationship with Phillip Dick (author0

7. is a tale in pyber punk- in which tends to have people turning into machines and machines turning into people ( Neo becomes one with the machine, the seemingly real woman who is the oracle is just a machine)




OUTSIDE NOTES

1. # This documentary is featured on disc 8 (The Roots of the Matrix)in The Ultimate Matrix DVD Collection, released in 2004.

2. Return to the Source: Philosophy & The Matrix - 61:04
To gain a real understanding of the Matrix Series, especially parts 2 and 3, one really must have at least some understanding of the philosophical and religious aspects of the story. Without this basic grounding, the last 2 films become a mish-mash of mumbo jumbo. This documentary goes a fair way towards explaining some of the philosophy behind the films. Here we have a wealth of philosophers and teachers that lend their thoughts and expertise to the viewer so that they may get a better understanding of what's behind the films.

Contributing here are:
Iakovos Vasiliou: Associate Professor of Philosophy, City University of New York, Graduate Center, Brooklyn College. (more notes from him here)


Ken Wilber, Writer and Philosopher. Mark Rowlands: Professor of Philosophy, University of Hartfordshire. John Searle: Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley. Christopher Graw: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Florida International University, Philosophy Editor of thematrix.com. T.J. Mawson: Philosopher, Oxford University. David Chalmers: Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona. Colin McGinn: Author and Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers University. Dr. Cornel West: Author and Professor of Religion and African American Studies, Princeton University. Donna Bowman: Associate Professor of Religious Studies, The Honours College, University of Central Arkansas. Michael McKenna: Associate professor of Philosophy, Ithaca College. William Irwin: Professor of Philosophy, Kings College, Editor of "The Matrix and Philosophy". Richard Hanley: Professor of Philosophy, University of Delaware. Julia Driver: Professor of Philosophy, Dartmouth College. Rudy Rucker: Author. John Shirley: Author and Screenwriter. Bruce Sterling: Writer. Dr. Rachel Wagner: Hundere Teaching Fellow of Religion and Culture, Oregon State University. Christopher Vogler: Author. Frances Flannery-Dailey, Ph.D.: Author and Associate Professor of Religion, Hendrix College. Andy Clark: Philosopher and Cognitive Scientist, University of Edinburgh. Peter Chung: Director, Aeon Flux. Peter B. Lloyd: Software Consultant, Philosopher and Writer, Author of "Exegesis of The Matrix". John Partridge: Associate Professor of Philosophy, Wheaton College. Daniel Dennett: Author and Professor of Philosophy, Tufts University. Hubert Dreyfus: Author and Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley.