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  • Essay / The Code of Hammurabi: A Brief Review

    The Code of Hammurabi was conceived thousands of years ago in ancient Babylon by King Hammurabi and inscribed on a seven-foot slab of stone. It contains around 300 different laws, covering topics such as acts of violence, social class and family law. This system became a sort of basis for our own laws and social norms almost 4,000 years later. The Code of Hammurabi is an extremely archaic system of laws and invalid in our modern social and political systems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe Babylonians strictly believed in the idea of ​​an eye for an eye, especially when it came to nobles, but it led to usually excessive punishment. rather than a just and reasonable action. The death penalty was imposed for petty theft and hands were cut off in cases of assault. Surgeons would lose limbs if they failed in their work. This of course would be completely absurd in today's world where we have a prison system and even criminals have the right to due process and trial by jury. The code also provided for a very rigid three-class structure that had to be followed. The Amelu were elite patricians who enjoyed aristocratic privileges and were served by the ardu, slaves. Interestingly enough, there was no problem if Amelu had children with ardu and it was not considered infidelity because ardu were considered subhuman. Slaves were marked with identifying marks that could be surgically removed if they purchased their freedom or were freed by their masters. The term mushkenu translates directly to "beggar", but the term was generally used to refer to anyone who did not own land. According to Hammurabi, the divorce had to be initiated by the husband, who in turn would also charge the wife the dowry. . This would result in a serious degradation of women's rights in all areas as well as limited or no representation of women in divorce cases, particularly in cases of abusive relationships, a subject that has become much more relevant in the current social climate. Adultery was punishable by death for both parties involved, unless the husband was willing to forgive his wife for the act. There was no concept of a will, so deceased people's property was distributed among their children. However, people could disinherit their children with some sort of judicial consent. Adoption was usually a form of apprenticeship, meaning that if the “father” did not properly teach his son a trade, he could potentially be sued. This system would disrupt family structures around the world if it were in effect today. These policies deprive families of the right to make their own decisions regarding their well-being, instead entrusting that well-being to the government. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a custom paper essayThe Code of Hammurabi was a primitive and archaic system and should have little influence on our society. The idea of ​​an eye for an eye is inhumane and does more harm than good. The rigid class structure openly endorses the use of slaves, treating them as subhuman and undeserving of basic rights. Finally, the code creates a rigid family structure that essentially forces the government to intervene in family conflicts. Such a system is inhumane and essentially..