Descartes proposes that all of our experiences are merely an ongoing dream. Meaning, everything we know and understand to be "real" is a sham. In this paper I am going to argue, first that through this thought-experiment Descartes tries to deny the concept of knowledge. Second, I will show how he responds to his own questions posed through his hypothesis. Lastly, I will demonstrate how the film "Matrix" helps one to realize the relevance of Descartes" thought-experiment.
Descartes realizes in order for him to take this thought seriously, he must demolish all doubt he may carry with him into his experiment. For if he has doubt about what he is thinking then how could he take his own thoughts seriously let alone anyone else. He does this by locking himself away to complete his thoughts. After he accomplishes, this he begins his meditations. He begins his argument with a curious thought; dreaming, what is it? He first looks at the things around him. Descartes analyzes them over and over again trying to figure out if they are really there or if he is dreaming that they are there. He observes that when you dream you usually assume that if you pinch yourself during a dream you will wake up, or if it hurts you aren't dreaming, but he asks, could it be you are dreaming the hurt from the pinch? It's a curious thought if you think hard enough about it. Does the pain actually exist or are you only dreaming of the pain in your dream? He begins to believe that the pain is only our minds telling us it hurts; it's merely a figment of our imagination. Descartes goes on to start to doubt his senses. Is the color we see actually that color or is it a different color, or further more is it even a color could it be some thing else. This is how be comes up with the idea that we do not have thoughts for ourselves and that anything that we believe or perceive to be "real" is actually a dream implanted in our heads by an evil-demon.
