A Tremor in the force... Cyborgs

[Malgunn]

Interesting chatter on this...

I myself was quite suprised to find this as a race in swtor..

Coming accros this in a forum made me chuckle

.....they aren’t a separate species lol… they are still human. Cyborgs also aren’t a separate species they are just a subculture in the same way that stoners for instance are humans but with a shared interest and similar ideals and way of life.

--it is completely absurd.
--CYBORG isn’t a race/species. it’s a subculture.

the reply went

Did Luke change species when he got his Cybernetic hand?

thought it might be a good discussion point... who does everone else feel..?

[Filious]

I'd still call them human, just better and improved over the weak original form...

[Kiel Barat]

Miserable little meatbags.

[Rhanite]

Lets get anal about it!

According to the relevant dictionary entry, courtesy of the internets we get:

spe·cies
   [spee-sheez, -seez] Show IPA noun, plural -cies, adjective
noun
1.
a class of individuals having some common characteristics or qualities; distinct sort or kind.
2.
Biology . the major subdivision of a genus or subgenus, regarded as the basic category of biological classification, composed of related individuals that resemble one another, are able to breed among themselves, but are not able to breed with members of another species.

If we look at the first entry we see that a species can be a group of individuals with common characteristics or qualities... like a subculture. According to this definition, an individual who acquires distinguishing traits (like cybernetic implants) can infact change/join the species designated as "Cyborg" in this context. If this is how we choose to view it, then yes. Cyborgs are a species.

If we look at the second entry however, then in terms of biology the key word is the ability to reproduce SOLELY within ones own genus or subgenus then we have to define how cyborgs reproduce. Now I'm all for applying SCIENCE and getting some cyborg ladies up in here, but lets stick to dear sweet conjecture and deduction instead. If we define cyborg reproduction as augmenting other species with implants, turning them into cyborgs as well, then we see that they can reproduce outside their genus. But that isn't biological reproduction, and we're looking at the biological definition, Einstein. Assuming that cyborg du-jour has the right parts in functioning condition, then it stands to reason that he or she can reproduce as ably as any other human - be it with cyborgs or humans. If we're trying to prove that they're a separate species, then we failed - since we're assuming they can still engage in reproductive practices with humans. But then, in most contexts, cyborgs ARE augmented humans.

So from a biological standpoint, they probably aren't a species.

So... its whatever you want it to be. Personally, I'm gonna go with: Cyborgs are augmented humans - but make up a distinct subculture/species of human, prevalent enough to warrant such a designation.

[Yogash]

But if they have sex with a human or a cyborg the outcome is not a cyborg.
So cyborgs cannot reproduce as the word means the outcome must have some traits of the progenitor.
If enhancements are assumed in all areas then it may be that cyborgs cannot mate with humans and only with other cyborgs - which would mean a separate species under both definitions.
Perhaps they have more in common with machines?