Will Saletan at Slate probes the mind-boggling possibility that scientists can recreate a Neanderthal. He suggests that scientists might be able to get around the central ethical questions — is it ok to clone a human? — by re-creating the Neanderthal primarily through manipulation of chimp DNA. That would make the creation an ape rather than a human.
But that still leaves so many other questions:
If they’re animals, not humans, couldn’t we eat them? (“We’re serving a delightful, grass-fed Neanderthal with peppercorn sauce and a cranberry reduction”)
If they’re animals, not humans, couldn’t we use them as servants or slaves — or pets?
If we conclude that they’re just too human to be subjected to such treatment, we then have to confront all of the bioethical concerns about human cloning, plus some new ones. If they’re human-ish, should they have full human rights?
Can they vote? Sit on a jury? Marry your daughter? Flak insurance?
Some scientists believe Neanderthals were wiped out by modern humans. If so, this could be the ultimate indignity: bringing Neanderthals back to life just so we could humiliate and dominate them again. I’d say let sleeping cave-people lie.