In HOMO Genus, there are several classified species today extincted, like the Homo Neanderthalensis or Neanderthal Man, Homo Erectus and others, which are NOT classified like monkeys or apes but like humans or hominids.
Lets supose that in any way, in a remote place in the world someone discovers that one of these species survived, and still exist today.
Does they have the same Human Rights as us (Homo Sapiens Sapiens)?
Are the Human Rights only for Homo Sapiens Sapiens?
If not, will they be treated as animals, with the same rights?
Why they will be treated like animals and not humans no matter of their HOMO Genus?
Thanks in advance.
2007-01-07 07:06:05 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Anthropology
Interesting question.
If we go back just 50 years ago - then definately not. Inequality due to skin colour was rife in many countries - in particular the USA until the 1960s.... (We are not that much better in England).
However, although not perfect, things have greatly improved.
So if we took so long to accept that people should be treated as equals irrespective of their skin colour - then Im sure it would have taken a lot longer for Neanderthal man to be given the same rights.
I bet they would be our slaves / treated like animals. Mind you we treat some animals better than other human beings sometimes...
They would also have been used for experimentation - to test new drugs etc.
2007-01-07 12:46:37 · answer #1 · answered by cambsman_sn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All of the other people answering this question are looking at it from the wrong perspective. When you are asking about "Human Rights" you are asking about a specific legal classification not their level of social recognition or aptitude as compared to Homo Sapien Sapien. Would they have the same "human rights" as "humans"? That depends, and primarily it would depend upon what court or other governing authority looked at the case. In all probability there would be different ruling in various parts of the world. I could imagine certain countries granting full rights to the newly discovered sub-species and others denying them completely. Others would probably take a middle of a road approach and create a new version of "Plessy v Ferguson", the famous Supreme Court case that stated "seperate but equal" was lawful. So the correct answer is neither yes or not, but a little of both.
A very short, easy to read and inexpensive book that deals with issues very similar to this is "Can Animals and Machines be Persons?" by Justin Leiber. I think you might find this philisophical dialogue interesting. Usually it can be bought for under five dollars and can be read in less just a few hours.
2007-01-10 06:28:48 · answer #2 · answered by Roy C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that as long as they were able to speak a language that we Homo Sapiens could learn, they would have the same rights. I think it would be very difficult for someone to make an argument in today's society that someone who could speak in a way that we understand as a language should be treated like a chimpanzee. So many people see spoken language as the thing that divides humans from all other animals. I know there are a few apes that have learned a form of sign language, but always very limited, and since the majority of us communicate through spoken languages, I feel that we as a species are biased and see spoken language as somehow evolutionarily "higher up" than gestures.
2007-01-07 12:58:44 · answer #3 · answered by magpie_queen 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anthropologists generally consider all species included in the genus "Homo" to be "human." Therefore I would hope that if Neandertals still existed they would be afforded the same "human rights" as H. sapiens. However, H. sapiens have proved that discrimination, and even genocide, is a favorite hobby of our species. If people don't want to respect the human rights of the members of their own species, I think that there's little hope that they'd extend that respect to members of the genus. It's even been hypothesized that that's why Neandertals died--mass murder by H. sapiens (that's not the only hypothesis, but a plausible one).
2007-01-08 00:01:31 · answer #4 · answered by forbidden_planet 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HOMO means similar or identical thus all the species under the Homo Genus are alike therefore I conclude that the Homo Neanderthals should have the same constitution as the Sapiens.
2007-01-07 07:21:34 · answer #5 · answered by lanisoderberg69 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, Homo Neanderthalis had a larger brain case and much more rugged bone structure than Homo Sapiens. They used tools and apparently had a not-too-dissimilar propensity for culture.
One theory is that Homo Neanderthalis does exist today - within the gene pool of us Homo Sapiens (that would explain my hirsute and simian-like gym teacher in middle school, Ernst Krueger).
I think your question would be more apropos if you substituted "Cro-Magnon" man for Neanderthal Man. I suspect that we would interact with them in various ways, depending on individual and group values. I'm reminded of the "Deltas" and "Epsilons" from the novel "Brave New World."
2007-01-09 03:47:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, Neanderthals are known to have the same brain capacity as us so they could be just as smart. Unless they had an advance language and society they wouldn't be treated as equals because, as someone stated before, the human race is cruel and we hardly treat people who are close to us with rights.
2007-01-07 16:25:33 · answer #7 · answered by minusblade 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We don't even treat our own species equally why would we treat them as equals. I think they would poked and proded and tested to see if their inlligence was as much and we can't give them rights until we find out, blah blah blah. However, there is scientific evidence that some of those were more apelike. Neaderthal, maybe not so much. I think ti would depend on what species we actually found. Very interesting questin though.
2007-01-07 15:12:19 · answer #8 · answered by fifimsp1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They would be treated as highly intelligent animals; therefore up for exploitation and experiment. I dont think we are evolved enough to look at them as humans-maybe humanlike, but definitely not human. Scientists and anthroplogists may regard them as human because of their background, but the average Joe would have adifficult time accepting them as human. Think about it...the government does not consider an unborn human as fully human therfore they can be aborted. Cruel but true.
2007-01-07 16:07:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of Americans have Neanderthal-type mentalities, so I would say,yes, they would have the same rights under the US Constitution.
2007-01-07 07:14:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋