Hammurabi’s code The world's first laws were written by Hammurabi. He was a powerful righteous leader who ruled Babylon for 42 years about 4,000 years ago. Hammurabi had a great empire that was about 350 miles in length, so he needed something to keep his people in line. He carved a code of laws on a giant stone pillar-like object called a stele. (BGE) Hammurabi's code: was it just? Hammurabi’s code was not just because it treated classes differently when applied to families, property laws, and to personal injury laws. Hammurabi’s code was unjust. An example of this can be found in the area of family law. Law 195 clearly states that if a son hits his father his hands shall be cut off. This is not fair because the father could have struck the son first or hurt him in some other way. Another example of injustice is Law 129 - in this law it states if a married lady is caught in
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In law 196 it says if a man has knocked an eye out of a free man his eye shall be knocked out, but in law 199 it says if a man has knocked out an eye of a slave he shall pay half his value. This is not fair because it’s treating classes differently because if you knock an eye out of a slave nothing physically happens to you, but, if you knock an eye out of a free man your eye gets knocked out. Both committed the same crime but didn’t receive the same punishment which makes it unfair. The unjustness continues in law 215 - if a surgeon has operated with a bronze lancet on the body of a free man and saves his life, he shall receive ten shekels of silver, but in law 218 it says if a surgeon has operated with a bronze lancet on a free man and has caused his death, the surgeon’s hands shall be cut off. This is unjust because the patient could have been beyond helping and the surgeon could be a great surgeon but would lose his hands and thus his job. His punishment is way too harsh for the action. (Doc
In law 196 it says if a man has knocked an eye out of a free man his eye shall be knocked out, but in law 199 it says if a man has knocked out an eye of a slave he shall pay half his value. This is not fair because it’s treating classes differently because if you knock an eye out of a slave nothing physically happens to you, but, if you knock an eye out of a free man your eye gets knocked out. Both committed the same crime but didn’t receive the same punishment which makes it unfair. The unjustness continues in law 215 - if a surgeon has operated with a bronze lancet on the body of a free man and saves his life, he shall receive ten shekels of silver, but in law 218 it says if a surgeon has operated with a bronze lancet on a free man and has caused his death, the surgeon’s hands shall be cut off. This is unjust because the patient could have been beyond helping and the surgeon could be a great surgeon but would lose his hands and thus his job. His punishment is way too harsh for the action. (Doc