Reflection on the Matrix

 
True
  Awareness



Cypher’s decision to betray his
friends and team for a life of ignorant self interest would not be supported by
philosophers Epicurus or Jean-Paul Sartre, but rather looked down upon as being
weak in human nature and ego driven. I would agree. 



           
Cypher is existing is a world that has no sensual pleasure. The world as
it was once known is no longer. Humans have become enslaved to machines in which the remaining few humans are at war with, these machines have taken over the world as we know it today and humans are bread and live in a fantasy world which exist only in there minds. While their actual bodies are being farmed to keep
these programs running. Now Cypher being one of the few that is fighting for the
humans decides to trade what he knows to the machines in return for a life of
fame and pleasure in this fantasy world that is being run by the machines.



           
In Epicurus’s The Extent Remains, though he does talk a lot about the
importance of life pleasures, he is also very noble and holds value on just and
moral decisions. He discusses the actions taken and how the reactions to that
action will hold the ultimate effect, as he explains throughout his doctrines. 
Doctrine XVII-"The just man
is most free from trouble, the unjust most full of trouble."(pg 614) Meaning to
stay true to oneself and act morally with a clear conscious will liberate all
burdens. The choice being a selfish and unjust decision to betray his team and
seek material and sensual pleasures, would only cause more troubles in
Epicurus's belief's. It seems Epicurus believes in Karma and it will be
addressed either way.


           
Seeking wisdom from all of source is like being on the path towards a
joyous happy life. Epicurus knows the importance of wisdom yet cannot compare it
to the importance of friendship. He says in Doctrine XXVII- “Of all things which
wisdom acquires to produce the blessedness of the complete life, far the
greatest is the possession of friendship."(pg615) In this the relationships we
hold are far more important then whatever it is we may think we know, we could
know it all yet be incomplete because we have no one in which to share our
knowledge that will truly understand. Cypher is giving up something real and
something great, which is his friendship with his team, though their cause that
has bonded them so tightly he is turning his back. I do not believe Epicurus
would support his decision to give all that up for a selfish life. He holds the
value of friendship alone to be much greater than that, life itself would not be
complete for Cypher.


           
  Cypher’s ego is what’s driving him to live in this fantasy world. He
  wants to experience the taste of good food again and enjoy all that life could
  offer as far as pleasing his senses. He wants to feel important again as being
  part of something even if it’s not real, he won’t know it. Epicurus explains
  that it’s not these things that produced a pleasant life but rather the
  non-attachment to these. "For it is not continuous drinkings and revellings, nor
  the satisfactions of lusts, nor the enjoyment of fish and other luxuries of the
  wealthy table, which produce a pleasant life, but sober reasoning, searching
  out the motives for all choice and avoidance, and banishing mere opinions, to
  which are due the greatest disturbance of the spirit."(pg 611) 
  The mindfulness of one-self is of greater importance then the
  satisfaction of ideals, it’s the things we hold onto that will be the cause of
  our misery. 



           
  I strongly agree with Epicurus, he has a way of communicating through his
  doctrines not as statements so much as open ended ideas that one could meditate
  on for days. Though he is all about the pleasures in life he holds boundaries
  and limits to what extent it should be pursued. I have set the same boundaries
  and cannot please my ego at the expense of my soul. I do not support Cyphers
  choice and think if it were not for his attachments he would have never had the
  choice to make in the first place. The life he is living his real life would be
  ok, if he was ok with it. He is the only variable that is causing any misery I
  believe Jean-Paul Sartre would agree.


           
Jean-Paul Sartre believes in absolute freedom, in that this life is ours
and we are solely responsible for it. That we are not just living in this world
objectively but subjectively as the world lives through us as well. Saying, “He
is responsible for the world and for himself as a way of being.” (pg 64) The
world is only a reflection of self, and is projected by what has been put in it.
It is this way or that way because that is the way the individual has made it.
Jean-Paul would think Cypher is as much a part of the war as the war is a part
of him.


Cypher
may not have chose the war and his responsibilities but he is living it and you
cannot run from that, even if the deal went through and he was living his
fantasies he would still be in and have a active part in the war itself, there
is no escape. “For I am responsible for my very desire of fleeing
responsibilities.”(pg 65) Since absolute freedom is responsibility for all
choice then every desire we may have is a direct reflection of that. Since
Cypher’s desire is to live in the fantasy world, he desires to flee his
responsibilities to his team during the war. Suicide would be an option as well,
for a good example of fleeing responsibility. Jean-Paul would see that for
Cypher there truly is no escape, and would condemn him for his choice.



           
There is a certain way in which Jean-Paul uses words that carries a
deeper meaning of open space to be considered. His talk about life not being
separate from ourselves is one that implies we truly are the creators of our
world and our life’s, not only through what we see but also how we feel about
what it is that we are seeing at that moment. Jean-Paul states it beautifully,
“He must assume the situation with the proud consciousness of being the author
of it, for the very worst disadvantages or the worst threats which can endanger
my person have meaning only in and through my project; and it is on the ground
of the engagement which I am that they appear.”(pg 65)  When
we are only awareness it is then possible to see what we have created in our
projection of things we see or feel. There is a difference between what is real
(the present moment) and what is not (thoughts about the future or the past),
it’s only in these ideals or our projected idea’s of things that we are able to
associate any kind of disadvantage or threat, which 
can cause any sort of misery or suffering. When one accepts the
consciousness of being the author of it, he is pure awareness in that moment and
can choose how he feels and what he wants to attach to that particular situation
in which he is currently engaged, if anything at all.



           
I believe true joy and freedom can only be captured in the present
moment, One could choose happiness in Cyphers position such as the guy that
created the girl in the red dress. 
He is “ok” and seems to be happy most of the time. Now if Epicurus and
Jean-Paul Sartre could comment on the difference between the two character’s, I
believe they would say one is content he is of stronger understanding and human
nature, while the other’s desires and ego based self interest’s have weakened
his spirit. 


             

Business Major at Salt Lake Community College