Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Would you take the red pill, not knowing what would happen? Seriously, don't just idealize yourself as a thrill-seeking, truth-seeking, inquisitive intellectual and say "of course." Really think about it. If you were in Neo's shoes, would you take the red pill?
- Would you take the red pill, knowing what would happen? You would wake up in a scary place, as mankind seems to be on the brink of defeat. You are not The One and don't know if Morpheus will find him/her. Would you rather suffer in the physical world or have a quaint life as a human battery?
- Do you think we could be living in a virtual (or in some way simulated) universe?
- Could machines ever attain consciousness or is this just another science fiction trope? To answer this, think about a) how you would define consciousness and b) ask yourself if all consciousness must be the same. Could machines have a different type of consciousness than humans?
- Do we live in a deterministic world? This could mean lots of things: genetic determinism, social determinism, historical determinism, quantum determinism. If our world is predetermined, does that mean we don't make choices?
- What are some more practical matrices that we experience every day? Instead of thinking of the Matrix as a metaphor for our own experience in the world, what if we thought of different experiences as types of matrices?
- What role does faith play in the movie? Morpheus has complete faith in a prophecy and Neo doesn't even have faith in himself. Is faith always held in a positive light?
- Compare the Matrix to other philosophical metaphors, like Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
- If you were stranded on a desert island (not in the Matrix) and you were accompanied by one character from The Matrix, who would you choose and why?