In this blog post, I’ll examine the relationship between virtual reality and reality—focusing on the movie ‘The Matrix’—from the perspective of independence and dependence, and reflect on what constitutes a valuable life for humans.

Which offers a more valuable life: virtual reality or reality?

The movie ‘The Matrix’ begins when Anderson—who works as a computer programmer at a leading software company by day and as a hacker by night—is approached one day by a man named “Morpheus,” who offers him a choice between the blue pill, representing virtual reality, and the red pill, representing reality. After choosing the red pill, Anderson—now known as “Neo”—comes to realize the true nature of the world he has been living in and the reality behind it, and he becomes confused by the disconnect between the virtual reality he has experienced and actual reality.
So, let’s try to put ourselves in Anderson’s shoes for a moment. Suppose you were living an ordinary, everyday life when a stranger approached you and claimed that the life you’re living is a fake one. If that person then told you to choose between the fake life you’re currently living and reality, which would you pick? Like the movie’s protagonist, you’d probably find it hard to decide right away. That’s because you can’t know whether virtual reality or reality is more valuable until you experience them firsthand.
The release of ‘The Matrix’ sparked numerous debates about whether to choose virtual reality or reality, and research on this topic has also been conducted. While there are countless opinions on virtual reality and reality, it is necessary to establish a basic premise before delving into the discussion. That is, before discussing the value of each, we must first consider what constitutes a meaningful life—or what criteria are used to judge its worth. While the criteria for a meaningful life may vary from person to person, I considered “whether one can control or recognize their own identity” as one such criterion. The reason I considered this criterion is that there is a scene in the movie where Neo says he does not believe in destiny because he cannot control himself. I viewed this statement as a kind of device that provides food for thought regarding the value of virtual reality and reality.

Are reality and virtual reality related like an independent variable and a dependent variable?

The relationship between virtual reality and reality can be viewed in terms of “independent variables” and “dependent variables.” In other words, it is a kind of functional relationship. If so, the question of which is more valuable—virtual reality or reality—can ultimately be reduced to determining which is the independent variable, that is, which concept is dependent on the other. From this perspective, I believe reality corresponds to the independent variable. Therefore, to argue that reality is more valuable here, we must discuss whether the independent variable is more valuable than the dependent variable. Is the independent variable truly superior to the dependent variable?
I believe this depends on the situation. For example, if we consider the process of biological reproduction, we cannot say that a subsequent generation is less valuable than the previous one. This is because the subsequent generation will, in turn, produce the next generation as time passes. In this case, we can view the nature of the dependent variable as having transformed into that of the independent variable over time. However, the issue regarding virtual reality and reality is different. While biological reproduction can be viewed as a dynamic situation—where generations continuously succeed one another and possess both independence and dependence over time—virtual reality and reality can be viewed as static situations, not based on the concept of successive generations. In other words, while it is difficult to determine which takes precedence—independence or dependence—in a dynamic situation, the relationship between virtual reality and reality is static; therefore, we can determine which is the independent variable and which is the dependent variable, and consequently, assess their relative importance. Let us first examine the evidence supporting the notion that reality is the independent variable through the film’s plot itself.
First, in reality, if a member disconnects the device attached to their head—which they use to access the Matrix—that person will ultimately die. Cypher, who had grown disillusioned with life in reality, killed several members in this manner. This can be seen as a result where manipulation in reality ultimately affects both virtual reality and reality. Another piece of evidence is that in the real world, when necessary skills or abilities are inputted—much like saving a program—those skills can be used immediately in the virtual reality. After Neo first became a member of the Resistance, he acquired martial arts skills such as kung fu through a program, and Trinity learned how to fly a helicopter in the same way.
The common thread in both cases is that changes in the real world influenced the virtual reality. In other words, virtual reality is the dependent variable, while the real world is the independent variable that controls it. We can also confirm that the real world holds a more independent significance in that, even if the program were destroyed and the virtual reality known as the Matrix were to disappear, the real world itself could not vanish.
Of course, this argument does not completely negate the value of virtual reality. Changes in one’s state within virtual reality can also be reflected in reality. For example, when Neo is injured while fighting Agent Smith in virtual reality, he also exhibits physical symptoms in reality. However, the value of reality is simply emphasized more because the influence of reality on virtual reality is fundamentally much greater than the influence of virtual reality on reality.

Is the claim that virtual reality is more valuable than reality valid?

However, some might argue that virtual reality does have value and point out that the influence of virtual reality on reality could potentially be greater than the reverse. If so, let’s examine the specific grounds for this claim by looking at an essay that argues virtual reality is more valuable.
In his essay titled “The Superiority of Virtual Reality in The Matrix,” Park Geon-baek (2012) presented three aspects in which virtual reality holds an advantage over reality. I will examine the content of these three arguments and identify what is problematic about them.
First, he cited the stability of the virtual reality space as the first argument. Park Geon-baek argued that stability is demonstrated by the fact that a stable society can be realized within The Matrix, where all social risks have been eliminated. However, in my view, The Matrix is ultimately a means by which machines control humans through virtual reality; it has nothing to do with stability. Humans can face threats even within virtual reality itself, and evidence of this can be found in the film’s plot. Early in the movie, when Neo was living as an ordinary computer programmer, he was already under stress from various issues, and shortly after meeting Morpheus and Trinity, he was threatened by Agent Smith. Even when he was living in virtual reality under the name “Anderson,” his life was far from stable.
As a second point, it was argued that the Matrix holds an advantage over reality in terms of cost. Park Geon-baek asserts that, unlike in the real world, changing society within the Matrix requires nothing more than modifying a single line of code. However, this applies only to those who control the Matrix from the real world; from the perspective of those living within the Matrix itself, it is irrelevant. This is because, from their perspective, they are unaware that the Matrix itself is composed of code. The question of which is more valuable—virtual reality or reality—must always be considered from the standpoint of those living within it.
As a third argument, it was claimed that since human senses cannot distinguish between virtual reality and reality, a virtual reality where one leads an ordinary daily life might actually be preferable. However, I believe that if characters who traverse both virtual reality and reality—such as Morpheus and Trinity—approach someone like Anderson, who was only aware of virtual reality, and give them the opportunity to recognize reality, it is entirely possible to discern the difference between virtual reality and reality using human senses alone.

Is it possible to strike a balance between reality and virtual reality?

Some might argue that, since human senses cannot distinguish between virtual reality and reality, there is no need to deliberately choose the real world—one should simply choose based on personal preference. This can be seen as an argument in favor of compromise between virtual reality and reality. However, such an argument only holds true when, at the moment of choosing between virtual reality and reality, one is unable to perceive the differences between the two worlds. The fact that one has reached the point of making a choice implies that one is aware of the differences between one’s current situation and that of the other world.
Thus far, focusing on the movie ‘The Matrix’, we have examined which—virtual reality or reality—holds greater value from the perspectives of independence and dependence, and we have argued that reality is more valuable because it possesses greater independence than virtual reality. We have also analyzed and critiqued the existing argument that virtual reality is valuable. Of course, virtual reality may be necessary to some extent to compensate for the shortcomings of reality. However, fundamentally, reality is the foundation upon which human life is built. Just as a replica cannot exist without the original, virtual reality cannot exist without reality. Even if humans were unable to distinguish between virtual reality and reality, I believe that while this would be a problem beyond human perception, reality remains superior in terms of intrinsic value. Virtual reality should exist only as an accessory to reality, and we must place greater value on reality.