“The Matrix and Philosophy: Explaining the Ideas Beneath the Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Trilogy - Associated Content” plus 1 more

The Matrix and Philosophy: Explaining the Ideas Beneath the Groundbreaking Sci-Fi Trilogy - Associated Content

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 12:31 PM PST

When Larry and Lana Wachowski presented us with the first Matrix film, they succeeded in reintroducing great philosophical debates within the context of a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster. Dating back to films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner, the sci-fi genre has a rich philosophical heritage. But as CGI effects and action oriented plots increasingly dominated science fiction films, it seemed as if popular science fiction was becoming a strictly visceral, rather than intellectual, cinematic experience.

But when The Matrix came out in 1999, it seemed as if the glory days of cerebral sci-fi fare were back with a vengeance. The movie asked us to contemplate a philosophical theme at least as old as Rene Descartes. How do I know that the experiences I have are actually real, and not simply cognitive stimuli coming from some hidden source?

To Descartes, this became what we now call the evil demon hypothesis. Descartes wondered how we could disprove the idea that every single thing we experience wasn't really some nefarious entity tricking our minds. That illustration seems rather antiquated to the secular mind, and Harvard philosopher Hillary Putnam repopularized the idea by asking how do I know I'm not just a brain in a vat?

Putnam asked us to imagine a disembodied brain, suspended in some life sustaining goo, that was hooked up to a set of wires that transmit signals to the brain the way our own nervous system does. At the other end of those wires is a computer that sends inputs to our mind, causing us to process sensory information that we perceive to be sights, sounds, tastes, etc. In reality, however, we're just receiving electrical impulses via some unseen source.

This is the world Neo finds himself in when he finally "wakes up" from the matrix. He was, in quite a literal sense, plugged in to a machine that fed his mind a false reality.

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'Service Above Self' remains Brunswick Rotary's philosophy: Spotlight on Service - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Posted: 01 Feb 2011 05:29 AM PST

Published: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 8:36 AM

"Spotlight on Service" is an ongoing series profiling service groups in the Brunswick Sun area, what they do and how residents can get involved. If you have a group you'd like to see included, send information to mmorilak@sunnews.com

By 'Sam' Boyer

Correspondent

For 25 years, the Rotary Club of Brunswick has been an important part of the community. One can look at the clock tower and Rotary Field at Brunswick High School as examples of their efforts. "Service Above Self," is its guiding premise.

It all began when the Medina evening club and the Strongsville club joined forces to start a Brunswick Rotary. The 37 who gathered together decided they wanted their group to meet in the morning and with William Eyssen (Apple Bill) and son, David and son-in-law, Mark Farrell, being charter members, selected Mapleside Restaurant for their home base.

Those who joined were attracted by its four guiding principles:

• FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

• SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

• THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

• FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

Rob Rapp who was one of those charter members and the first sergeant-at-arms, remembers that at one time, Rotary was the largest service organization in town – with some 75 members. It has now settled in with between 30 and 40 on the roster and continues to meet for breakfast each Thursday in a variety of locations. While Rapp is no longer a member, his son, Brandon, is president-elect of the organization. Chip Rogers is the current president.

Officers of the charter group included Richard Hayman, president, Eyssen, vice-president; Michael Essen, secretary; W.Thomas Dewey, treasurer; Rapp; and other directors, Phillip Biederman, Farrell, Donald Halsey, David Riehl and Edward Walters. Members came from all walks of life and included other well-known area residents, Patrick Carlson, Thomas Dragunas, David Eyssen, Duane Fenton, Robert Kobak, Michael Mulcahy, James Mussey, Richard Paterson, Guenter Plamper Stanley Socha, Thomas Steinke, William Wilkinson, Richard Wilt and John Youngblood.

Service to others continues to drive the members. They are involved in Hoop La, the annual basketball charity game; home delivery of food to shut-ins; hosting foreign exchange students; donation of dictionaries to all third graders in Brunswick schools; the four-way test speech contest for high schoolers; donations and manpower to the Brunswick Food Pantry; the pooch pageant at Old Fashioned Days; Relay for Life; and Rotary International's goal of wiping out polio throughout the world. The group's biggest fundraisers to help pay for those projects, is an annual golf tournament and a pig roast.

Members Don McClain and longtime secretary, Lori Betz, agree that Rotary continues to be a great place for fellowship and fun. "And we love to sing," McClain added, noting that there is always a song or two at the meetings. Rapp said the club is always looking for new members who share their philosophy.

At 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, the club will celebrate its silver anniversary at the Diamond Event Center. They are inviting all current and past members to the evening's events and are looking forward to much reminiscing. Anyone who is interested in attending, or want more information about Rotary, can call Betz at (216) 990-3739, McClain at (330) 225-4679 or Rapp at (330) 225-3100.

More Brunswick news at cleveland.com/brunswick.

Philosophy

Tuesday, February 1, 2011