Epistemology is the nature of knowledge. Knowledge is important when considering what is reality and what is deception. The movie "The Matrix" displays a social deception in which Neo, the main character, is caught between what he thought was once reality and a whole new world that controls everything he thought was real. If I were Neo, I would not truly be able to know that I was in the matrix. However, it is rational to believe that I am in the matrix and will eventually enter back into my reality later. The proof that that I can know that I am in the matrix and that I will return to reality comes from the responses of foundationalism, idealism, and pallibalism. To begin, foundationalism is the essence of what we are certain of. …show more content…

Descartes' argument for idealism explains how knowledge of reality is possible. He goes through the process of using an example like a pen and justifying its existence. There are 3 steps to this process: 1. I know I perceive the pen. 2. To exist is to be perceived (Berkeley). 3. I know the pen exists. Another philosopher, Berkeley, argues esse est percipi, which translates to "to be is to be perceived". This means that if you are perceived you exist and the same thing goes for reality. There are issues that argue against idealism; one of these arguments is that we have no conception of unperceived matter. As soon as you perceive it you can conceive it. The only problems with this argument are the fact that many people perceive the distant path. An example of this is the "Big Bang" theory. Also the perception of the atom and distant galaxies furthermore cause a problem. So idealism still stands strong. Neo's perception of the matrix exists so therefor Neo believes that the matrix is real.
Yet there remains one more response to furthermore prove that Neo is rational to believe he is in the matrix. This is the response to Pallibalism, the theory that knowledge does not require certainty. This response goes about saying that we are certain of our minds and our own existence. Neo has knowledge of the matrix, but there is no certainty with his