Epistemology is another core concept of philosophy which
seeks to explain the authorities in which we place our trust while seeking
truth. There are many different ways to validate knowledge—God, science, God as
science, experience, sensory perceptions, feeling, the self, etc.
How do you know if you are dreaming? Nolan presents to
viewers skilled architects who can transform dream worlds so that they are
indiscernible from reality, similar to the metaphysical conundrum presented in The Matrix. If you cannot trust your
senses, how can you validate what you know to be real or true? How easily Fischer
put his trust in Mr. Charles, while Cobb bombards him with confusion and a
sense of urgency. We see how experience can even deceive us, as Mal tried to
recall if she and Cobb literally grew old together in the endless years they
spent in their collective subconscious. Cobb tells of how Mal locked away the
ultimate truth which allowed her to validate whether or not she was dreaming.
But how reliable were these totems (especially the top which was shared between
Cobb and Mal)? After all, at the end of the film we can never be sure if really
toppled… Best ending ever.
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