Dasien in the Matrix

The excerpt from Heidegger’s Being and Time was a very complex and abstracted reading that demanded further research and a dictionary at hand to make any sense whatsoever. After some contemplation, I interpreted Dasien as a temporary and abstract being which reveals the essence of human existence. Essentially, it is a question of what it means to be in this world. In the artifact for last class, the clips from the Matrix, I believe the directors are questioning Heidegger’s Dasien being through the main character, Neo. In Neo’s dream world, he exists as what we perceive to be a conventional human being, a computer programmer who enjoys partying and lives in a typical urban setting. However, when Morpheus contacts him about the Matrix, Neo discovers the reality of his existence is a world dominated by machines which enframe human beings as natural resources of energy. Later Morpheus shows Neo the powers of the Matrix, such as its ability to transport one into an entirely immersive virtual world where anything from human talents, to facial features, to a living room can be downloaded. The Matrix questions what defines reality and our sense of being in a world overtaken by technology.

Leslie noted how the unifying factor of anxiety is care, and how care brings a sense of unity within our existence. Heiddegger writes: “Care does not characterize just existentially…it embraces the unity of these ways in which Being may be characterized. Certainly in Neo’s case, the care of Morpheus and his crew unites Neo’s dream world with the reality of existence in a destructive machine-controlled society, and ultimately leads to Neo’s defeat of this dark, blood thirst civilization. The classic motion picture The Matrix echoes various aspects of Heidegger’s concept of Dasien through excessive symbolism and brilliant action sequences.