Hammurabi's Code: Was it Just?
3A
Was Hammurabi’s Code Just?
If you compare our modern societies’ technology, architecture, and laws to ancient times you will notice many differences and a few hidden similarities. We have gone so far in our technological and architectural advancements that the similarities can barely be seen, but the foundation and base of many of our laws can be traced back almost 4000 years ago to a Babylonian king named Hammurabi. Hammurabi ruled a grouping of city-states in Mesopotamia and created 282 laws that citizens where to abide throughout his kingdom. These laws were called Hammurabi’s code and they were organized into categories such as; family life, agriculture, theft, and professional standards (Doc A). Hammurabi’s code was just for its time, because it enforced laws that had punishments equal to the crime and it was created to protect the weak and provide them safety. The code of Hammurabi was ultimately fair, because the punishments equated with the crimes at the time. A clear example of this would be “Eye for an Eye,” law 196, if a man has knocked out the eye of a freeman, his eye shall be knocked out (Doc E). Dealing with agriculture, in laws 53 and 54; if a man opens a trench for irrigation and it floods his neighbors, he must pay for the damage (Doc D). Both laws deal in equality even though law 196 deals only with a freeman, if a slave has his eye knocked out, half of his value shall be paid to his master (Doc E). This might seem cruel and unfair, but in Mesopotamian society slaves existed and were property. Losing an eye is like losing half their ability to work and see
so that might be why the slave master is paid half of their value. People need to take responsibility for their actions, and that is a concept well defined in these laws. Hammurabi created these laws to protect the weak, the widowed, the orphans, and those who needed security (Doc B). The laws of Hammurabi are just in that they prevent crime by using harsh punishments, like in
Was Hammurabi’s Code Just?
If you compare our modern societies’ technology, architecture, and laws to ancient times you will notice many differences and a few hidden similarities. We have gone so far in our technological and architectural advancements that the similarities can barely be seen, but the foundation and base of many of our laws can be traced back almost 4000 years ago to a Babylonian king named Hammurabi. Hammurabi ruled a grouping of city-states in Mesopotamia and created 282 laws that citizens where to abide throughout his kingdom. These laws were called Hammurabi’s code and they were organized into categories such as; family life, agriculture, theft, and professional standards (Doc A). Hammurabi’s code was just for its time, because it enforced laws that had punishments equal to the crime and it was created to protect the weak and provide them safety. The code of Hammurabi was ultimately fair, because the punishments equated with the crimes at the time. A clear example of this would be “Eye for an Eye,” law 196, if a man has knocked out the eye of a freeman, his eye shall be knocked out (Doc E). Dealing with agriculture, in laws 53 and 54; if a man opens a trench for irrigation and it floods his neighbors, he must pay for the damage (Doc D). Both laws deal in equality even though law 196 deals only with a freeman, if a slave has his eye knocked out, half of his value shall be paid to his master (Doc E). This might seem cruel and unfair, but in Mesopotamian society slaves existed and were property. Losing an eye is like losing half their ability to work and see
so that might be why the slave master is paid half of their value. People need to take responsibility for their actions, and that is a concept well defined in these laws. Hammurabi created these laws to protect the weak, the widowed, the orphans, and those who needed security (Doc B). The laws of Hammurabi are just in that they prevent crime by using harsh punishments, like in