In this blog post, based on the movie “The Matrix” and philosophical thinking, we will explore in depth whether we can choose a fake reality that is happier than the real one.
The Matrix, a movie about a virtual reality world dominated by human memories, caused a huge sensation in the film industry in 1999, riding the wave of the end-of-century atmosphere. Set in the year 2199, the movie depicts a world ruled by computers with artificial brains, where humans are bred in incubators like livestock and used as energy sources. The virtual reality depicted in The Matrix is so sophisticated and vivid that it can be believed to be real. Virtual reality has a realism comparable to “real” reality, and it is so indistinguishable from reality that it has the same status as reality. Furthermore, in the movie, reality is depicted as dark and uncomfortable, while virtual reality is depicted as bright and colorful. In such a situation, the main character of the movie, Neo, is given the opportunity to choose between ‘real’ reality and “virtual” reality.
Descartes and Putnam once presented a situation similar to The Matrix regarding what is real and what is fake. Similarly, philosopher Robert Nozick raised a question under conditions most similar to the thesis of this article. He thought about a problem in order to discern what the ultimate value is, and called it an “experience machine.”
Let’s say that, like Cypher, who wanted to enter a machine that would give him happiness, such as friends, fame, wealth, good looks, and success, you are aware of the situation but still make that choice. Once you do, you will forget your past self. And you will never be able to leave the machine. Would you choose this “experience machine”? My answer to this question is “no.”
Most people would not choose the experience machine because the experiences it provides are not “real.” Ultimately, this is because the idea that “real” is superior to “fake” is unconsciously ingrained in people’s minds. However, the idea that “real” is superior to ‘fake’ simply because it is “real” is nothing more than a concept created by humans. If there is no more fundamental reason, we may come to the conclusion that there is no difference between “real” reality and virtual reality. Therefore, in this article, I will discuss the essential reasons why “real” reality is superior to virtual reality, even when they appear to be completely identical, based on certain criteria.
The criteria by which humans judge objects and the world can be broadly divided into two categories: the context of “existence” and the context of “perception.” First, in the context of “existence,” “real” reality is superior to virtual reality. In the movie The Matrix, the world of the Matrix and the real world are clearly distinguished in terms of existence. The world of the Matrix is a world where common programs are implanted through plugs inserted into people’s heads. On the other hand, the real world is the space where people lie with plugs inserted into their heads. If we consider that the fact of existence itself is independent of human perception, then “real” reality literally exists, while ‘virtual’ reality is merely an imitation of existence, so “real” reality can be seen as having a more advantageous position in the context of existence.
So, what happens when we examine the two in the context of “perception”? The context of “perception” can be broadly divided into two categories: realism and idealism. First, the view that there is a world that exists outside of our consciousness, which ‘generates’ our experiences, and that these experiences are not created by our ideas or dependent on ideas, is called “realism.” On the other hand, “idealism” is the view that the physical objects we perceive are merely a collection of signals received by our sensory organs, and that “reality” is nothing more than what is perceived or sensed.
In the movie, Cypher perceives the world based on “idealism.” Cypher wants to return to the computer-controlled virtual reality and taste the “virtual” steak that the computer outputs. Even though he knows that it does not exist, he chooses virtual reality because the sensations he experiences are the same as reality. Cypher’s choice to disappear into the Matrix cannot be dismissed as completely wrong. This is because the virtual reality in the Matrix is real in terms of its effects. When you touch something, you can feel it; when you eat food, you can taste it; and when you talk to someone, they respond. While it may be debatable whether these things can be recognized as official reality, in terms of their effects, they are real events and entities.
In Christopher Nolan’s film Inception, there are people who make choices similar to those of Cypher in The Matrix. In the film, Yusuf, a drug manufacturer, gives drugs to people who want to escape reality in exchange for money. The effect of this drug is to allow people to escape from their negative reality and fall into a deep sleep, where they dream happy dreams that are different from reality. Even though they know that what they see in their dreams is not real, they make the same choice as Cypher in order to escape the pain of reality, which leads us to believe that the world we perceive and feel most deeply is not simply the reality that exists.
However, if we return to the most basic condition of this issue and reconsider the context of perception, there is no room for “idealism.” This is because at the moment of choosing between “real” reality and virtual reality, it is possible to clearly perceive what is real and what is not. Therefore, at the moment of choice, we make judgments from the standpoint of “realism,” and “real” reality is a better choice than virtual reality. Realism is the position that there is a world that exists outside our consciousness and that this world “causes” our experiences. In the case of virtual reality, however, it does not exist outside our consciousness, but merely transmits sensory signals to our consciousness, so there is an essential difference between the two.
So far, we have judged which is better between “real” reality and virtual reality in terms of the context of existence and the context of perception. First, the difference between what really exists and what does not is the most important key in the context of “existence,” so “real” reality has an advantage over virtual reality. In the context of perception, we must make a judgment based on the position of realism, and real reality carries more weight in essence because there is a world that exists outside of consciousness. Ultimately, choosing “real” reality leads to better results than choosing virtual reality in terms of both perception and existence. For this reason, choosing ‘real’ reality is a more meaningful decision, and virtual reality cannot help but be an infinitely light existence in the face of the “real” reality we face.
