"I know that I know nothing" The Oracle and The Matrix



     People have always had an interest in finding out the future. This desire to know things comes with the assumption that through knowing, one may be able to change or help prevent a bad occurrence. However the future never really changes, it’s the action we alter to get to our future that bring about the differences. The only solution to arrive at some sort of answer would be to seek a “medium” which has the ability to predict what’s to come. In many cases this “medium” is known as an Oracle. An Oracle is a person believed to foresee what the future holds for anyone who seeks their advice. An Oracle is thought to be very trustworthy and their predictions are always without fail or falsity. In The Matrix, the oracle plays a vital part. She is the one they all go to in order to seek guidance for the difficult task they are presented. The Oracle is the one, Morpheus has the most faith in and the person he sent Neo to in order to get answers. In The Matrix, the Oracle has answers about Neo in reference to himself and his surroundings.

     The Matrix is entirely about the subject of knowing. It depicts the challenge Neo faces of knowing if he is “the one” and  the distinction Neo attempts to make of knowing what is reality verses what is the projection of reality. The movie even shows the wish Neo, along with Trinity and Morpheus, have of knowing their own futures in order to feel the ability and strength to face their challenge. It is as if they felt that by knowing the outcome of their task then they would find the strength and confidence in the steps they were going to take. The point of the Oracle in The Matrix is simply to provide wisdom, her purpose was not to give anyone the answer to their futures but instead to provide them with the path to obtain what they wish to fulfill. By telling Trinity that she would be in love with “the one”, Trinity arrives at the conclusion that Neo must be the one because she is in love with him.

     The Oracle is depicted as wise and insightful. She has witty remarks throughout the conversation she has with Neo. She presents ideas that are meant to make people think and question what is the normality of everyday existence. The Oracle in the movie is helps Neo find his strength. It is a strength Neo has, not so much in the physical sense but in the mental sense. Both Morpheus and Oracle emphasize the idea of the mind being the  controller of all things. The mind is the very thing that makes Neo stronger and allows him to believe in who he is and what he is capable of doing. By visiting the Oracle, Neo is shown new ways or theories on how to look at life. He sees the incredible ability the mind holds and how his belief in his own abilities can truly hold the key to his own future. The Oracle makes a prediction of the future for Neo, which later proves to be untrue.. As depicted in The Matrix,  the Oracle tells Neo that he is not “the one” and maybe he would be “in his next life”( The Matrix). She also tells him that both Morpheus and Neo will not survive and one must die. Neo feels helpless and overwhelmed by the news he receives. He feels as if it is a unfortunate burden placed upon him . Yet he comes to realize that even though the Oracle says he is not “the one”, he begins to believe he is “the one” . Neo uses his mind to provide him with the strength to believe in his “gift”. He later gains power through this confidence and is able to succeed in fighting the agents while both he and Morpheus remain alive.

"Know Thyself"

This is one of the most important themes of The Matrix. The Oracle tells Neo that only he can truly know whether or not he is "the one" because no one has the ability to know us better than ourselves.

         Throughout Greek mythology the Oracles are often mentioned. They were the ones that people saw when they wished to know the outcome of their futures. The word Oracle means a god who predicts the future or a priest who hears the message (History for Kids). The Greek’s believed that you could communicate with the gods at certain places, through certain people and at certain times.(History for Kids). It was thought that the gods were able to provide you with some advice or possible future outcome. The Greek’s strong belief in fate and prophecy brought about their strong beliefs in Oracles. These individuals, priest and priestesses were thought to be the closest to the gods and therefore have the best connections. The Oracle’s were thought to be the messages of the gods and the mouthpiece of their wisdom and knowledge. It was believed that In Greek mythology the oracle’s held great importance in the stories told. It is as if they were always foreshadowing a later event or telling the outcome of the story before it even happens. The Greek’s often seek advice of oracle’s with questions that involved the comparing of one person or thing to another person or thing.

This link provides interesting information on Oracles;who they are, the process of consulting them as well as the influence they had over the ancient Greeks.

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Cr-Dr/Delphi.html

     This kind of question is shown in the story of “Oracle of Delphi”. In this story “Chaerophon visit’s the Oracle of Delphi and asks if there is anyone in Athens is wiser than Socrates” (Hyper history). The Oracle answers that no one is wiser than him. When Socrates receives this news he is said to make it his mission in life to understand what the Oracle said. He proceeds to seeks those who claim to be knowledgeable and find that many of their claims prove to be false and that no one has genuine wisdom. He comes to find that the Oracle was right about Socrates’ wisdom. Socrates discovered that he was not the wisest because he obtained knowledge that no one else had but rather that he was wisest because he understood his own lack of knowledge. The story of the “Oracle of Delphi” is much like that of The Matrix, where Neo is told he is “the one” ( The Matrix) and is trying to find what exactly makes him ‘the one”. It is not enough for Neo to be told this but to understand  why he can be seen as “the one”. Neo appears to be confused by this idea because others  seem just as capable, if not more capable, yet are not viewed in that same light. Neo is much like Socrates in that he doesn’t fully understand the prophecy the Oracle has presented to them.

     The ability to fully know how your life will pan out is impossible. The point of “living life” is accepting everything life has to bring. Life is all about the obstacles and struggles people constantly face in order to make themselves stronger. The concept of knowledge is extremely broad because it is impossible for one person to know everything. Socrates had the wisdom to know that but as the story of  “Oracle of Delphi”; many fail to understand that idea. To really be knowledgeable, is not to know everything but instead to have a range or variation of how to face a problem or situation in order to obtain a particular outcome. Throughout The Matrix this can be seen by both Neo and Trinity. There fear of what the outcome may bring is clouded and  guided by the prophecy of the Oracle. They both whole heartedly believe in what she says, that it makes them stronger. This is a true example of “mind over matter” and that “power is truly within”. Neo found the strength within himself because he believed he is “the one” and therefore he has the ability to make anything and everything happen. Oracle’s have always had the ability to sway people’s thoughts and viewpoints because they were viewed as higher beings. The thing many people fail  to realize is that we are truly in charge of our own futures and no one has the skill to tell us the outcome.

     All people have the skill to help sway or convince one another. Oracles were not really different from anyone else except that they were thought of highly and therefore believed to be true and wise. The only real truth behind Oracles were that they could sometimes help people see what they have failed to see. As individuals we have the ability to change and grow, forcing our futures to change and evolve along with us. The Matrix displays this ability in a very interesting way; Neo created his own future through his fate within himself  instead of allowing his fate to be told to him. “[We] all  know that [we] know nothing”(Socrates) but our knowledge is often the strength we find within ourselves. The power doesn’t come from the aspect of knowing but instead in the aspect of believing in ourselves and what we believe to be true.