How do we really know, that that 
which we see,

touch and taste really exists?

What is reality?

The objects or how we perceive them?

Do we see the world as its is, 
or is the world what it is,

because we perceive it as such?

Let's imagine the following:

We are in a cave, deep underground.

There is no visible daylight.

In this cave, people are tied 
to chairs in such a way

that they can only look at the cave wall.

From birth onwards,

Black and white movies are shown 
here non-stop

The audience believes that the film
is a true reflection of reality.

What sounds like an experiment
from the 3rd Reich,

is actually a 2000-year-old mind game,

conceived by Socrates' star pupil:

Plato!

Now suppose,

that one of these bold youngsters 
actually escapes from the cave

and sees the three-dimensional colourful 
world for the first time.

How would he feel?

Probably akin to the brave Keanu Reeves
in the "Matrix",

in the scene where he wakes up in
real world for the first time.

And worst of all,

if our ancient Neo were to 
return to his friends

and tell them that the world 
as they know it

isn't real…

then he would be dismissed as a madman.

According to Plato, our reality
is based on 'ideas'

Objects, and how we experience them,
are only their images

However, for Plato the term 'idea'
represented more.

It was about the essence of all things,

that which we saw previously 
as part of an ideal world

and that which we recalled from memory.

What he pioneered with this is a doctrine

called "idealism",

to which Leibnitz and Kant 
later belonged.

However, this does not mean 
diligently donating

to victims of natural disasters

or serving soup to the homeless 
at Christmas.

Just as the real meaning of "materialism",

isn't the "My house, My boat, My 
investment advisor" sung by Madonna.

nor the meaning of Yuppie Lifestyle.

Materialism is the philosophical 
countermovement to idealism.

Idealism sees the origin 
of reality in the "idea",

whereas with materialism "matter" 
is decisive.

Thus, reality arises due to the 
effect of the environment

and not by the way in which 
we perceive it.

To the question "What is?" 
materialism answers:

Only matter.

The world exists how it is

and we must conform to its laws.

Sounds bleak in the long run, though,
doesn't it?

So, are we just the ball
in a cosmic pinball machine then?

So where does reality lie?

Within us or out there?

This game ends in a draw