Cylon Culture: Difference between revisions

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Anthropologically, charasmatic authority is consistent with an egalitarian ethos. However, the egalitarianism of the Agents does not apply to the other types of Cylons at their disposal: not even to the sentient (but insane) Basestars (and Hybrids), nor to the semi-sentient animalistic Raiders, and certainly not to the Centurions, which are not sentient and do not resurrect. According to [[Admiral Adama]], and probably based on information from [[Sharon Agathon]], the limited abilities of the newer Centurions are a safety precaution, designed to prevent a machine revolution among the Cylons themselves which could lead to civil war. Also unknown is the degree of influence wielded by the Agents in the Cylon Sphere. Viewers have yet to see how the [[Final Five]] relate to the rest of Cylon society, and it is unknown whether the Agents effectively lead the entire Cylon race, or whether the Agents are merely one link in a hierarchical chain.
Anthropologically, charasmatic authority is consistent with an egalitarian ethos. However, the egalitarianism of the Agents does not apply to the other types of Cylons at their disposal: not even to the sentient (but insane) Basestars (and Hybrids), nor to the semi-sentient animalistic Raiders, and certainly not to the Centurions, which are not sentient and do not resurrect. According to [[Admiral Adama]], and probably based on information from [[Sharon Agathon]], the limited abilities of the newer Centurions are a safety precaution, designed to prevent a machine revolution among the Cylons themselves which could lead to civil war. Also unknown is the degree of influence wielded by the Agents in the Cylon Sphere. Viewers have yet to see how the [[Final Five]] relate to the rest of Cylon society, and it is unknown whether the Agents effectively lead the entire Cylon race, or whether the Agents are merely one link in a hierarchical chain.
Although Cylon military technology is exotic and partially biological in nature, Cylon agents have also been seen to make use of technology likely of Cylon manufacture, but of more terrestrial (or more accurately, Colonial) design. This includes weapons technology (KEWs, conventional and nuclear warheads, and Cybernetic weapons), as well as medical technology, as seen in the "Farms" of Caprica and in the prison facility on New Caprica, which included Colonial-style computers and hospital equipment, in stark contrast to the exotic interfaces seen aboard the Baseships.
Much, though not all, of Cylon architecture, including the conveyor tunnel on the [[Tylium Asteroid]], and the designs of their spacecraft seem to eschew right angles, much as Colonial aesthetics do. There are some exceptions, such as the prison facility on New Caprica, which like many Colonial buildings seen on Caprica retained many right angles.

Revision as of 19:18, 28 January 2007

The culture of Cylon agents is informed by several interacting factors. Chiefly among these are Cylon religion, Cylon history, their mechanical and cybernetic origins, their socio-political and metaphysical ideologies, and interestingly, Cylon culture incorporates certain aspects of Colonial culture, history, and religion.

The seven known Cylons agents, with the exception of Cavil, display (mostly) high degrees religiosity, though their interpretations of the monotheistic Cylon religion follow individualized patterns: for example, Number Six's faith appears to based on revelation, while other Cylons may tend more toward intellectualism (Simon) or militant extremism (Number Three, Number Five). Cavil appears to have an atheistic outlook. Sharon Agathon hinted at the historicity of the Lords of Kobol(at least one of them) but called their divinity into question. She claimed that the Cylons knew more about Colonial religion than the Colonials themselves.

The personalities and religious outlooks of each Cylon agent may be modeled on human archetypes. It is unknown how the Cylons obtained the genetic source to create the agents. It is also unknown whether the Cylon God is a metaphysical construct or an actual entity, possibly another type of Cylon, and whether the Cylon God or the Cylons' concept of God existed prior to or during the First Cylon War.

Cylon culture is also informed by their Cylons mechanical origins and biomechanical nature. Although the Cylons are capable of great resiliency, either by design or by choice they emulate specific human behaviors related to their physiology: they eat, drink, sleep, dream, sweat and breathe, though it remains unknown if all or some of these behaviors are actually necessary for the Cylon to function. In addition, there are behaviors unique to Cylons, such as Projection, the ability to download, and the ability to physically interface with the Cylon Datastream as well as with Colonial computer systems. These cybernetic behaviors are as important to the foundations of Cylon culture as their near-human physiology.

Like any ideology, Cylon ideology contains many paradoxical inclinations. The process by which a group of Agents (for example, the leaders of the occupational force on New Caprica, or the seven Cylon individuals that collectively command basestars) make decisions is democratic and egalitarian. Consensus is always preferable to even a minority dissent. This egalitarianism seems to apply to the Agents' social life, with some notable exceptions, most primarily the "heroes of the Cylon" (it is implied by Three that the Cylons never had "celebrities" until Boomer and Caprica-Six), and also by the force of personality (known in anthropological circles as charismatic authority) which certain individuals of different models seem to possess over the other copies in their series. This is displayed at one time or another by individual Cylon agents during the first half of Season 3.

Anthropologically, charasmatic authority is consistent with an egalitarian ethos. However, the egalitarianism of the Agents does not apply to the other types of Cylons at their disposal: not even to the sentient (but insane) Basestars (and Hybrids), nor to the semi-sentient animalistic Raiders, and certainly not to the Centurions, which are not sentient and do not resurrect. According to Admiral Adama, and probably based on information from Sharon Agathon, the limited abilities of the newer Centurions are a safety precaution, designed to prevent a machine revolution among the Cylons themselves which could lead to civil war. Also unknown is the degree of influence wielded by the Agents in the Cylon Sphere. Viewers have yet to see how the Final Five relate to the rest of Cylon society, and it is unknown whether the Agents effectively lead the entire Cylon race, or whether the Agents are merely one link in a hierarchical chain.

Although Cylon military technology is exotic and partially biological in nature, Cylon agents have also been seen to make use of technology likely of Cylon manufacture, but of more terrestrial (or more accurately, Colonial) design. This includes weapons technology (KEWs, conventional and nuclear warheads, and Cybernetic weapons), as well as medical technology, as seen in the "Farms" of Caprica and in the prison facility on New Caprica, which included Colonial-style computers and hospital equipment, in stark contrast to the exotic interfaces seen aboard the Baseships.

Much, though not all, of Cylon architecture, including the conveyor tunnel on the Tylium Asteroid, and the designs of their spacecraft seem to eschew right angles, much as Colonial aesthetics do. There are some exceptions, such as the prison facility on New Caprica, which like many Colonial buildings seen on Caprica retained many right angles.