If Neanderthals were still alive...?

Question

What do you think would happen to them? Would we grant them equal rights to ourselves, treat them as animals, or as slaves?

Answer 1

Interesting question! There was a guy who asked a similar question a few months ago, but he mentioned Australopithecines, not Neanderthals. At the time I suggested that the comparison might be more morally compelling if he used something like Homo Habilis in his comparison; I guess I still hold that view.

Neanderthals are far too close to us for us to consider them anything but human. There would be world-wide outrage if we mistreated them or denied them their basic human rights.

Answer 2

This question raises a lot of questions aboutour intelligence. Neanderthals had as large or large brains as modern humans, therefore there's no reason to simply assume that they'd be simple apes. For all we know they could come to dominate us intelectually

Answer 3

We still have a few around here is Appalachia.

Answer 4

There is a fairly strong, though controversial, thread in paleoanthropology, which suggests that they are still alive - and that they are us!  In other words, some believe that Homo sapiens neanderthalensis was not a separate species and contributed their lineage to what is now called Homo sapiens sapiens when the two populations (theoretically) converged in Europe.  

Answer 5

They are still alive.

Answer 6

They would be parking cars, mowing lawns, and cleaning hotel rooms.

Answer 7

they moved to a different planet

Answer 8

They would be hired for Geico commercials...