If you were to rule over 1,000,000 people, how would you do it? Would you make laws that are very strict? Would you make very harsh punishments so that you could scare people into doing what you wanted? This is what Hammurabi had to deal with when he created 282 laws for the 1,000,000 people that he ruled over in Babylonia. This 282 law code was called “Hammurabi’s Code,” and the property laws along with the personal injury laws made his code fair, or in other words, just. One of the reasons that Hammurabi’s Code was just is due to its property laws. The first law is law 21, and it states that if a man has broken through a wall in a house he is trying to rob, then he shall be put to death and pierced or hung in the hole that he has made. (Law 21, Doc D) You might say this is harsh punishment, but this is wrong. When a robber breaks into a house, he knows the risks of breaking a hole during a robbery. But most of all, this law strikes fear in people who are thinking of robbing. This is good because it teaches the people in Babylonia that robbing is not acceptable, and needs a punishment if the felony is committed. In another law, if a man has borrowed money to plant his fields from a creditor and a storm floods his field, then the farmer that borrowed the money does not have to pay back the borrowed money. (Law 48, Doc D) This just due to the …show more content…
Hammurabi had to make laws that 1,000,000 people that he ruled over would obey. I could see where some people would think that these laws are quite harsh, but back then things were different. Nowadays, we know better than to create laws such as these, with that harsh of punishments. But without these laws, we would not be able to revolutionise our laws that we have today. We all owe a great thanks to Hammurabi, because without him, government laws would have been like that in the current world
Hammurabi’s code could have been just in many different ways depending on the situation, but Hammurabi’s code also killed many innocent people! When Hammurabi made the laws, they were placed in the middle of the town, so the people knew about the laws and the consequences if they broke the laws. In Hammurabi’s words, he said: “ Hammurabi, the protecting king am I. … That the strong might not injure the weak, in order to protect the widows and orphans.” (Doc. B). He promised to protect the weak and Hammurabi did not keep his promise. Although he meant well, Some of the laws were unjust and unnecessary. Here is why Hammurabi’s code is unjust to the property laws and the personal injury law.
Hammurabi’s code is believed to be the first form of written law. It consists of a set of 282 laws written by Hammurabi, the king of Babylon circa 1792 BCE, that established a written social contract amongst the people of Babylonia. It was written on a stone stele that stands more than eight feet tall and weighs over 4 tons (doc A). According to the stele, Hammurabi was instructed to create the code by Shamash, the god of justice (doc B). However, it introduces conflicting ideas about justice that are arguable to this day. Were his rules unethical or his punishments too severe? Hammurabi’s code may be seen as unfair by today’s standards, but in solving matters that involve family, property, and health issues of his time, Hammurabi’s code was just because it utilizes negative reinforcement to implement positive results in society.
The Hammurabi Code of Laws is a set of rules enacted by the Babylonian King whose name was Hammurabi. The Babylonian King created a total of two-hundred eighty-two punishments that the citizens will receive if they do not abide by the laws that were given to them. The king ruled from 1792 BC to 1750 BC. The Hammurabi Code of Laws is very violent in terms of punishments. For example, one of the laws are “If anyone breaks into a house to steal, he will be put to death before that point of entry and be buried there (walled into the house)”. This is a clear example of how violent and inhumane the punishments of the Babylonians were, to us at least. This essay will be explaining a set of laws from the Hammurabi’s Code of Laws.
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.
A life for a life. King Hammurabi became the ruler of Babylon in 1792. Hammurabi had created 292 laws. He had a total of 3,500 lines of writing, covering both sides of the steele. I am going to be discussing, Is hammurabi's code just? Before we answer the question I will tell you what “just” means. Just simply means “fair”. I believe that hammurabi’s code was just. In this essay, I will be discussing hammurabi’s code being just. I will be giving reasons for hammurabi’s code being just.
Around 4,000 years ago Hammurabi’s code was created by Hammurabi the king of Babylonia with the goal of bringing justice to his kingdom. He even claimed that Shamash the god of justice commanded him to make these laws. Then his laws were carved into large stone’s called steles, written in the ancient cuneiform written, and then put up throughout all major communities of Babylonia. However, these ancient laws were not fair for everyone in his kingdom. Hammurabi’s Code was unjust because the laws pertaining to family life, property law, and personal injury were unfair.
Another reason, if the robber was not caught, the man who has been robbed shall formally declare whatever he has lot before a god, the city and the mayor whose territory or district the robbery has been committed shall replace for him. Many People think Hammurabi’s code was just but what what they don’t realize is that Hammurabi’s code was not just. For example, If a man has borrowed to plant his fields and a storm has flooded his field or carried away the crop(s), in that year he does not have to pay his creditors. This is unjust because The person who planted the crops should have known when not to plant his or her crops because of a storm, and also the creditor(s) who gave the person money should have also known when a storm or something serious was
The “Code of Hammurabi” is considered to be one of the most valuable finds of human existence. In fact its very existence created the basis for the justice system we have come to rely on today. The creation of “the Code” was a tremendous achievement for not only Babylonian society but for the entire Mesopotamian region as King Hammurabi was ruler over all of that area. Its conception can be considered to be the first culmination of the laws of different regions into a single, logical text. Hammurabi wanted to be an efficient ruler and realized that this could be achieved through the use of a common set of laws which applied to all territories and all citizens who fell under his rule. This paper will discuss the Hammurabi Code and the
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
People often assume that kings always make laws that are right and just for all people, but if that is looked into, is it really true? Not necessarily, at least in the case of Hammurabi’s Code. Hammurabi was a king in Babylon during 1792 BCE who created 282 laws which were printed on a stele. These later became known as Hammurabi’s Code. Hammurabi’s Code was made by King Hammurabi who wanted ultimately to protect the weak- such as widows and orphans- from the strong, and who wanted fairness throughout his lands. So, was Hammurabi’s Code fair to all people? Hammurabi’s code was unjust because of evidence supported by laws about Personal Injury, Property, and Family.
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.
Throughout history, humanity has kept itself from barbarity and lawlessness by establishing rules and laws to bring order. The most primitive set of written laws historians have been able to discover is Hammurabi’s Code, which originated in 18th century BCE. Hammurabi, the author of said Code, was a king who ruled over the larger part of Mesopotamia for forty-two years. He claims these laws were handed to him by the gods and, as stated in Document B, meant to “let righteousness go forth in the land.” However, was Hammurabi’s Code really all that fair? In some areas, such as women’s rights, and property law, I’d say the law is more that fair. Nevertheless, other areas, such as the various punishments the law offered, were quite brutal.
Imagine hitting your parents and having your hands cut off because you will never make a mistake again. Can you imagine that from the rules of your king? Well let's find out if you would like Hammurabi as a king that told everyone the laws from a God. The year he began ruler was 1707 B.C.E. and ended in 1750 B.C.E. He ruled babylon and created the first ever written laws. He made the laws and he made 282 of them! The laws are called Hammurabi’s code. Mostly if you disobeyed the code you will die or get punished for your actions even if you make a mistake. He was born in the year 1811 B.C.E. Were Hammurabi's laws fair to everyone in Babylonia? No the laws were not fair for everyone in Babylonia because if you make a
Was Hammurabi’s Code just? Hammurabi was the king of Babylonia, a kingdom in Mesopotamia, nearly 4,000 years ago. For part of his 42 years of rule Hammurabi had many wars, but over time his thoughts of war became thoughts of peace. This was when Hammurabi followed the command of Shamash, (god of justice) and made Hammurabi's code. Hammurabi had his code put all over the land he ruled. Hammurabi's 282 laws in his code were written in cuneiform (a wedge-shaped language) on a stele (a large pillar) Hammurabi’s Code was unjust based on evidence from his laws in family, personal injury, and property.
To begin Hammurabi’s Code was not just because all of his rules were very strict. For example in Document C If a woman was caught with another man then they shall be tied together and be drowned in a lake. Also if a son struck his dad his hands would be caught off. I think that these rules are too harsh because they all lead to death. Another example that Hammurabi's code was not just was that instead of killing a person he could just put the person in jail.