The film Inception is a movie that employs skepticism as it demonstrates the use of dream-reading technology. Dominic Cobb, the protagonist in the film Inception, uses artistic science-fiction to enter someone’s dream and extract secretive and valuable information without the subject’s notice or consent. Cobb is allowed to atone for his transgressions when he is given the seemingly hard duty of instilling an idea in the minds of others. It will be the ideal crime if he is successful, but a dangerous foe is watching Cobb’s every move. Inception has a philosophical argument in the plot which resonates with René Descartes’ reasoning on the nature of reality and the mind’s interpretation of its experience.
Descartes’ book First Meditation, published in 1641, is regarded as one of the most important works in philosophy. In this work, he makes a convincing case for God’s existence and the soul’s immortality. Its content describes six meditations and, in contrast to the prevailing belief at the time, which held that only some things could be understood, establishes what can be known with certainty. Descartes’ First Philosophy is presented when he writes that, “It is only prudent never to place complete confidence in that by which we have even once been deceived.” (Descartes, 2020 [1641], p. 101). Descartes’ and Nolan’s works explore the theme of skepticism and the illusion of reality.
The Inception film echoes Descartes’ First Meditation in several ways. The Inception film digs into skepticism and the illusion of reality as themes. At the same time, First Meditation explores the same themes, but Descartes establishes a certain foundation of knowledge on which to base it. Similarly, the subject of how to discern between waking and dreaming states is addressed in both the movie and First Meditation. In Inception, the characters sneak into other people’s dreams to impose their ideals on them. When people cannot tell the difference between a dream and reality, they run into problems and begin to wonder what is real and what is not. It is similar to Descartes, who struggles to tell the difference between waking and dreaming states in First Meditation. He begins questioning what he knows out of this fear of incorrect ideas.
The Cobb character in the film Inception serves as an attempt to provide an answer to Descartes’ query. Cobb indicates, “Dreams feel real while we are in them. It is only when we wake up that we realize something was strange” (Nolan, 2010). In this quote, he highlights the subjective nature of experience. Therefore, by questioning our assumptions about reality and being open to new knowledge, people can better understand themselves and the reality around them. The two works share similar themes, but Descartes’ and Christopher’s conclusions differ. In Inception, the characters can alter their reality by gaining new insights through the range of technological possibilities for learning. On the other hand, Descartes concludes that reason must be used to establish the basis of knowing because he cannot trust his senses or experiences.
In conclusion, Christopher Nolan’s Inception explores themes of skepticism and illusions of reality, echoing Descartes’ First Meditation. The film Inception is based on the science fiction of inserting an idea into a subconscious mind. Descartes’ book First Meditation employs much of philosophy to demonstrate the concept of the immortality of the soul and God. Using Cobb’s persona, it also responds to Descartes’ question. Despite their commonalities, they come to different conclusions in the end.
References
Descartes, R. (2020) [1641]. Discourse on method and meditations on first philosophy. Broadview Press.
Nolan, C. (2010). Inception [Film]. Warner Bros.