Hammurabi’s code included some gruesome punishments, some that might be believed as unruly, but is still just. Hammurabi’s code was just in many ways pertaining to their time. These laws are not the oldest set, but they were possibly the most strict from the ancient world. The punishments for breaking some laws are different for the multiple classes on the social structure and genders. Also, during his time, Hammurabi was known more as a builder and conqueror than a law-giver. All in all, the laws abiding in Hammurabi’s code are just because of its personal injury and family laws. Hammurabi’s code was just because of its personal injury laws. In law 209 it states, “If a man strikes the daughter of a free man and causes her to lose the fruit of her womb, he shall pay 10 shekels of silver.” (Doc E). This law is just because the free man is taking care of his daughter by making sure the man pays for what he caused. In law 213 it states, “If he has struck the slave-girl of a free man and causes her to lose the fruit of her womb, …show more content…
In law 129 it states, “If a married lady is caught (in adultery) with another man, they shall bind them and cast them into the water.” (Doc C). This law will be just because in their time this punishment was fair and people shouldn’t disobey the law if they know the consequences. Law 148 states, “If a man has married a wife and a disease has seized her, if he is determined to marry a second wife, he shall marry her. He shall not divorce the wife whom the disease has seized. She shall dwell in the house they have built together, and he shall maintain her as long as she lives.” (Doc C). This was just because he was still married to her so she should have someone to take care of her. Also, Hammurabi states that “the strong might not injure the weak” so he needs to protect and take care of her (Doc B). When people still abided by these rules they were just so these laws were very much
Hammurabi's laws regarding family include many prime examples of how his code protects the weak (doc B). Foremost, a man cannot relinquish his dying wife, but instead must tend to her for as long as she lives (doc C, law 148). Additionally, a father cannot disinherit his son unless the son has committed a crime (doc C, law 168). Both laws are just in that they defend
At the time, it was cruel to give harsh punishments to the accused if he/she cause a minor problem and they don’t do anything to help the victim. The property laws are unnecessary to the accused and even if the accused did something on accident, they still maybe end up killing him/her. The personal injury laws don’t even help because the laws punishments are basically killing the accused or chopping off a body part. In that time, the people thought that these laws were fair, But all in all, this is why the laws in Hammurabi’s code were unjust to not only the victim and the accused, but to society as
Hammurabi’s codes were just and sometimes unjust. They would have harsh punishments and sometimes not as harsh punishments. For example, Hammurabi would have harsh punishments like, blinding someone and throwing them in the water, or if someone were to rob some ones house and put a hole through the wall to get in they would whether get killed and pierced or hung in the hole in the wall that they created. Also he would have not as harsh punishments like, giving people money or cutting off their hands. Hammurabi had a lot harsher punishments for woman that did not obey the codes and not as harsh punishments for men that did not obey the laws.
Hammurabi’s code protected the weak. In law 148, it says that if man’s wife becomes ill, he can marry a new wife, but has to take care of the ill wife too. This protects the ill wife from being abandoned. In law 168, it says that if a man wants to disinherit his son it must go before a judge, and if a judge says that he can’t disinherit his son than he can’t disinherit him. This law protects the son. Hammurabi’s code
To begin with, the family laws in Hammurabi’s code are usually pretty unfair in the way they handle family disputes. One example of this is shown in Law 195 when the Code states, “If a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off”(Document C). This is unfair because it treats the son as lesser than the father since he gets a worse punishment than the original offense. Which shows that this law is an unbalanced punishment for the offense. Another example of an unfair law pertaining to family manners is when law 168 states, “If a man has determined to disinherit his son and has declared before the judge, “‘I cut off my son,’ the judge shall inquire into the son’s past, and, if the son has not committed a grave misdemeanor…, the father shall not disinherit his son”(Document C). This shows how a law can take something that should be decided by an individual, but instead is taken into a decision by the
Hammurabi’s code was not just because of it’s family laws. In the Epilogue, Hammurabi states “I will protect the weak citizens such as women, children, and slaves (Document B). He goes against that wish in laws 129 and 195. Law 129 states “If a woman is caught with another man, the man and the woman will be tied together and thrown into the water.” Hammurabi is not protecting women with this law. He also doesn’t give the woman and the man she is accused of cheating with a fair trial
Law 129: if a married lady is caught [in adultery] with another man, they shall blind them and cast them into the water. It is just because she went off with another man that is not her husband and she cheated on him and she should have been loyal to her husband but she was not and went with
The code of Hammurabi is the most remarkable and complete code of ancient law that we have. The code can be found on a stele, a stone slab usually to commemorate military victories in the ancient world. His code, a collection of 282 laws and standards, stipulated rules for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice. Most punishments resulting of death or loss of limb if a law was broken. The edicts ranged from family law to professional contracts and administrative law, often outlining different standards of justice for the three classes of Babylonian society. The Hammurabi Code was issued on the three classes of Babylonian Society, property owners, freemen and slaves. It was important as it organized the most civilized empire at that times , and Hammurabi made many copies of it and distributed them in the most important cities of the empire , so it represented a great progress to the human
The Code of Hammurabi was a strict, harsh, and unequal way of punishment that focused on current attainable penalties for Mesopotamian society. The society wasn’t religious, they did not have any affiliations with spiritual beings, which is why punishments were needed for the specific moment
In conclusion, Hammurabi’s Law Code was fundamental in elevating females place in society. Previously unprotected by any official laws, women were to some degree, treated as slaves. However, the implementation of Hammurabi’s Code of Laws, granted woman very important protections—if only a few—that greatly benefited the stability of their societal position. To summarize, the law code granted women few, but very monumental rights that consequently elevated their place in society as well as paving the way for future generations to attain further
Hammurabi's code was just, because it protected people and was fair. For most of the 282 laws in hammurabi's code they were in the best interest of helping and protecting the week, sick, poor, and the vast majority of babylonia. The laws were mostly fair to the people because usually the punishment was something of equal or greater harm than which the crime was committed. The only concern of mine is how harsh some laws were, because the punishment was way worse than the crime, but it was in a good cause so if the punishment was not death that the criminal was taught a good lesson, and if it was death the people didn't have to worry about the criminal that was killed because the criminal would be dead.
The code was created in 1792 B.C. and it had a total of 282 laws and they were organized by theme including, Family Life, Agriculture and Theft and Professional Standards. There are two areas of law where Hammurabi’s Code can be shown to be unjust. These are Family Law and Personal Injury Law.
Hammurabi’s code was unjust because of Family Laws. In law 129 it's says that if a woman is caught with another man they both shall be thrown in the river bind together. This is unjust because the woman does not get to pick her husband, therefore the woman may not love her husband but love somebody else. The woman can not choose who she wants to be with and if she wants a divorce the husband has to agree, and if the husband does not agree she is stuck with the husband she has because the man is higher in the social structure than a woman(Doc C.). Also, in Law 195 it says that if a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off. This is unjust because the father may be abusing his son, and his son can't show any evidence that this action is happening so the son could be fighting back for his own sake to protect himself but he is
Hammurabi’s code was unjust because of multiple family laws. Just look at law 148 “If a man takes a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire to take a second wife, he shall not put away his wife, who has been attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house which he has built and support her so long as she lives.”(doc C). As she lives Her dying days she would spend them watching her husband be happy with another woman.
Hammurabi’s code made matters worse by acting instead of trying to help the family’s problems. For example, in Law one hundred twenty-nine, if a woman was caught in adultery with another man they will just drown them both. In addition, Law one hundred ninety -five, if a son has struck his father his hands shall be cut off. Based on what i read, Law one hundred twenty-nine is not fair because they do not try to help the family instead they come up with the solution of killing the wife. This shows that in Law one hundred ninety-five the sun will have his hands cut off when they could havejust tried to help the son not be mad at the father or want to hit him. As you can see these laws are not fair and are a bit too jumpy.