Descartes Enters the Matrix

The Matrix is without question is one of my favorite movies. It was not only a ground-breaking film considering its visual effects, but also, extremely profound and philosophical in its content that hardly many people see. Each and every scene and each and every line in the script is well written and well produced. I think it has taken its inspiration from a number of sources. The ideas used and questions asked are already part of the philosophy we know of. Let me introduce you to one of them.

Descartes is a well known french mathematician and philosopher. If he is not such "well-known" that hearing his name rings no bell in your head then try this, "I think, therefore I am." Yes, Mr. Descartes said that and said it very well. This is exactly what I want to talk about.

What does it mean? "I think, therefore I am." Well, Mr Descartes was trying to understand this world around him and he asked the question, what can I say for certain? What can be said without doubt? Lets say, if I see water in the desert, I cannot say for certain that it is actually water - may be its water, may a mirage. What about the physical world around me? Is it real? or has some great monster (Matrix?) captured me and placed this elaborate mirage before my eyes? He used the method of "methodical skepticism" to answer this.  He started questioning each and everything like that until he rejected everything except one. If I can think and ask all these questions, at least, I, must exist. "I think, therefore I am."

Rene Descartes