The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture and Philosophy) [Hardcover]

William Irwin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2002 | Series: Popular Culture and Philosophy (Book 3)

The Matrix conveys the horror of a false world made of nothing but perceptions. Based on the premise that reality is a dream controlled by malevolent forces, it is one of the most overtly philosophical movies ever to come out of Hollywood. These thought-provoking essays by the same team of young philosophers who created The Simpsons and Philosophy discuss different facets of the primary philosophical puzzle of The Matrix: Can we be sure the world is really there, and if not, what should we do about it? Other chapters address issues of religion, lifestyle, pop culture, the Zeitgeist, the nature of mind and matter, and the reality of fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The many faces of Keanu Reeves as hero Neo-Christ, Buddha, Socrates-are explored in these essays on the philosophical implications of the sci-fi martial arts blockbuster The Matrix, collected by the editor of Seinfeld and Philosophy and The Simpsons and Philosophy. According to the academics assembled here, when messianic hacker Neo kick-boxes the Matrix's virtual-reality dream-prison, he is really struggling with some of mankind's biggest conundrums: the nature of truth and reality, the possibility of free will, the mind-body problem and the alienation of labor in late-capitalist society. The tacit goal here is to make philosophy fun for the general reader by orienting it to pop-culture reference points, so while some articles contain rather dense philosophical jargon, most are pitched at the level of a freshman intro course. But only a few chapters delve into the movie's aesthetics; the rest seem to use The Matrix as a peg on which to hang a canned philosophy lecture. The results are occasionally engaging, as with David Mitsuo Nixon's nifty refutation of the "reality is just an illusion" conceit, but they're too often dryly academic and liable to elicit no more than a drowsy "whoa" from the movie's legions of fans.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This collection of essays has something for nearly everyone interested in the intersection between philosophy and pop culture." -- Utopian Studies Book Review, September, 2004

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Open Court (September 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812695011
• ISBN-13: 978-0812695014
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Irwin is professor of Philosophy and Director of the Honors Program at King's college, Pennsylvania. Irwin's first book, Intentionalist Interpretation: A Philosophical Explanation and Defense (1999), was nominated for the American Philosophical Association Young Scholar's Book Prize. Irwin is best known for having originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy (1999), The Simpsons and Philosophy (2001), and The Matrix and Philosophy (2002). He was editor of these books and then General Editor of the Popular Culture and Philosophy Series through Open Court Publishing. In 2006, Irwin left Open Court to become the General Editor of The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series, which includes Metallica and Philosophy (2007), among other volumes. Irwin first theorized the philosophy and pop culture genre in his article "Philosophy as/and/of Popular Culture" in Irwin and Gracia eds. Philosophy and the Interpretation of Popular Culture (2006).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for Intro. to Philosophy Courses, November 22, 2002

By 

Kevin J. Murtagh Jr. "Philosophy teacher and ... (Rockville Centre, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

I use this book in the Introduction to Philosophy course that I teach. This book provides me with an "in" that I can use in order to discuss very important philosophical issues. It is often difficult to make the material "come to life", especially when teaching a required course. By using this book, it is possible to make the process much more enjoyable for students who would otherwise be disinterested. This book can be used on its own or, being that it is relatively inexpensive, it can be used as a companion piece along with a textbook. For the most part, the writing is lively and engaging. It is both accessible to Intro. students and interesting to graduate students. Anyone who has had an even cursory acquaintance with philosophical writing knows how rare that is. I believe this to be the best book in the series. I am most likely biased; I have what some might call an unhealthy obsession with the film. The other two books, Seinfeld and Philosophy and Simpsons and Philosophy, are excellent, but this book is much better for use in an intro. course for on simple reason: To understand most of the essays in the other two books, the reader will have to be familiar with the series. Seeing a few episodes will not do. With The Matrix, you can watch a two hour movie and be able to understand the references that are made in the book. A few highlights:
Ch.1: Computers, Caves, and Oracles: Neo and Socrates- Compares Plato's allegory of the cave to Neo's journey. An excellent discussion of what it means to lead an examined life and seek the truth. Excellent segue into the red pill/blue pill debate.
Ch.6: The Machine-Made Ghost: Or, The Philosophy of Mind, Matrix Style- Discusses Artificial Intelligence and the nature of the mind. The author argues against dualism and favors a materialistic view. Leads to a discussion on whether or not it would be theoretically possible for a Matrix to exist and the presuppositions that are present in the movie with regard to the nature of the mind.
Ch.8: Fate, Freedom, and Foreknowledge: A discussion of fate, freedom, omniscience and determinism. Even if they escaped the Matrix, would people really be free?
Ch.11: Happiness and Cypher's Choice: Is Ignorance Bliss?- My favorite essay in the book. What do we make of Cypher's decision to try to return to the Matrix? Is a decimated reality preferable to an artificial world where you can "eat" a juicy steak and do not have to worry about Sentinels trying to kill you? The author says that it is, and his argument is very thought-provoking.
There are other excellent essays in this book, but these happen to be my favorites. Students, teachers and those who are just interested in philosophy: You should definitely buy this excellent book.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good starting point into the Desert of the Real, December 30, 2002

By 

Blake Petit "Novelist, columnist & reviewer" (Ama, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

You know, I never took a single philosophy course in college, and this book still swept me right up. The thinking man has already pondered many of the issues this book brings up, but it examines them in a more analytical way that helps to focus your thinking.

The book is essentially a collection of essays connecting "The Matrix" (and occasionally other films) to the modern school of thinking. As such, it could have used some editing -- the analogy to Descarte's demon allegory is certainly pertinent, but we don't need it explained to us 18 times.

The essays generally fall into two categories -- those which use "The Matrix" as a starting point for serious philosophical debate and those which attempt to apply schools of thought that the filmmakers almost certainly never intended (virtually the entire final segment of the book is like this). The former work very well, the latter do not.

For fans of "The Matrix" who want to examine it as more than just a film but as a question that doesn't really have an answer, this is a great place to start.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing way to learn more about philosophy., April 3, 2003

By 

Ryan McDougal (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)

I would say this is a must read for those interested in learning more about philosophy or even self taught scholars who are openminded to present day applications of basic theories. Although I do not completely agree with all the analyses and comparisons offered in this book, I cannot argue against the fact that like its predecessors (The Simpsons and Philosophy and Seinfeld and Philosophy) this collection of essays offers a unique opportunity to explain sometimes complex theories of philosophy in a palpable and comprehensible manner that I think anyone can appreciate. I admit that although some of the analysis require time to digest and at times may be a slow read, this book is well worth it if you are interested in learning more about philosophy and do not feel like buying "An idiots guide to philosophy". I have used the theories that I have found in this book to concentrate on specific philosophers and avenues of thought. Also, it is just more interesting as it makes you think and gives you tangible examples that parallel with your own life experiences. Of course these life experiences may not include the gravity defying martial arts but stranger things have been true so I leave it to you to decide. Which pill will you choose?