The philosophical antecedent for The Matrix is really the work of the French philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes:
I disagree. The concept ("All the world's an illusion, and the only way you can transcend it all and attain nirvana is by truly believing that it is so") was propounded by the Hindu Vedanta philosophy of Shankara (first century AD). Shankara himself was re-stating the earlier Upanishads in a more consistent manner. Descartes was 17th century AD. It is also interesting to note how much of Hindu life is influenced by this concept ("Maya", we call it).
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The philosophical antecedent for The Matrix is really the work of the French philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes:
I disagree. The concept ("All the world's an illusion, and the only way you can transcend it all and attain nirvana is by truly believing that it is so") was propounded by the Hindu Vedanta philosophy of Shankara (first century AD). Shankara himself was re-stating the earlier Upanishads in a more consistent manner. Descartes was 17th century AD. It is also interesting to note how much of Hindu life is influenced by this concept ("Maya", we call it).