Underneath the bombast of leather-clad, bullet-laden kung-fu action, there is a deeper battle within “The Matrix” trilogy — a philosophical battle.

In “The Matrix” films, Neo (Keanu Reeves) is ‘the chosen one,’ leading a fight with a band of rebels against computers to destroy the Matrix — a simulated world set up so computers can use the humans for energy. It is on this canvas the battle of philosophical ideas takes place.

Bill Robinson, professor of philosophy and religious studies, says “The Matrix” relies on a traditional philosophical idea.

“The obvious thing for a philosopher is that the first ‘Matrix’ is a modern version of what [Ren‚] Descartes said, ‘How do I know that what I take to be my experience of the world is not just a bunch of ideas put in my head by an evil god?'” Robinson says.

A version of this question is found at the beginning of “The Matrix” when Morpheus explains the matrix to Neo.

“Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real?” Morpheus asks. “What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?”

Robinson says this idea has been used in movies before.

“Before ‘The Matrix’ the previous update of Descartes was the ‘Brain in the vat,'” he says.

Robinson says mad scientists manipulating the experiences of a brain in a jar — sending electrical signals to the brain to tell it what and how to feel — is the main idea behind Descartes philosophy.

Instead of a brain in a jar, “The Matrix” is about people plugged into to a simulated world with computers acting as the mad scientist, manipulating what the humans see, feel and experience. Descartes’ idea is prevalent through out “The Matrix,” acting as the backdrop for the Wachowski brothers to bounce other ideas off of, with the main idea of the ability to reject the Matrix.

“There is a wiggle factor in the human condition that defies mechanical replication,” says Kevin de Laplante, assistant professor of philosophy and religious studies.

Elric Colvill, junior in English, says the wiggle factor is inevitable.

“Ultimately, creativity and imagination defeat cold robotic logic,” he says.

The Architect and the Oracle built a realistic Matrix, after failing to convince humans with a perfect Matrix.

This is similar to philosophical ideas of a god allowing evil, even though it has the ability to create a world devoid of evil, Robinson says.

He says a god must be omnipotent, omniscient and perfectly good. With those qualifications, humans must ask why God would allow evil. If God is perfectly good, then he must want to exterminate all evil, and if God is all-knowing. then he must know exactly what he needs to do in order to eradicate evil. If God is all-powerful, then he has the ability to destroy evil.

In Robinson’s philosophy classes, he says his students provide various answers as to why God would allow evil.

“[One possible answer is:] if there wasn’t the evil, the world would be boring,” he says.

The same principal applies to “The Matrix.”

“How could the makers of the matrix allow evil? If you take all of the spice out, it’s unbelievable,” Robinson says.

The Architect and Oracle needed the sixth version of the Matrix to be realistic and allow the freedom of choice, so people would not reject the Matrix.

“The Matrix: Reloaded” introduces the second philosophical idea into the film series — free will versus determinism.

Free will is defined as an ability contained by rational entities, that enables those entities to make a decision between a variety of options. A person with free will is able to define his or her future through decisions and actions — he or she control his or her destiny, Robinson says.

Determinism, on the other hand, is the idea that every action has a sufficient cause behind said action. Every action is defined by a previous event — cause and effect, Robinson says.

Through the confrontation of the conflicting philosophies, “Reloaded” raises a question. The movie asks whether humans are in control and decide their actions or victims of previous events.

“The second movie is drawing a contrast between freedom and determinism,” de Laplante says. “The second one is quite preoccupied with free will, determinism and fate.”

The Oracle mentions this idea throughout the trilogy. In “Reloaded,” Neo and the Oracle converse on a park bench about choice and whether or not Zion will fall if Neo fails.

“Because you didn’t come here to make a choice, you’ve already made it,” she says. “You’re here to try to understand why you made it.”

The clashing of the various philosophical themes creates a stage for the high-octane, special-effects laden action to take place. Colvill says he believes there is one underlying theme through out the trilogy.

“The main idea in “The Matrix” [trilogy] is man’s creativity became his own prison. The items he created for utility became his enemy,” Colvill says. “The only way you can free your mind is by releasing yourself from the restrictions of the world around you.”