Question

what are the social and legal principles on which hammurabi's code is based? is there anything familiar about it in terms of legal codes in North America today? Who does the code focus on and why do you think it sees these people or aspects of aspects of society as crucial for maintaining order?

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) The reign of Hammurabi was around 1792 to 1750 BC in Babylon. During the culmination of his reign, a set of 282 laws or codes were compiled from the Hammurabi’s code. These codes dictated economic law, family law, criminal law and civil law.

This law was advanced because it went beyond uncivilized tribal customs. Marriage by capture, private retribution and blood feuds were entirely outlawed. Instead, the code enforced legal trials for misdoings, district responsibility, family solidarity etc.

When this ancient code was discovered in 1901 by Jean-Vincent Scheil, it was discovered that the code was progressive and had similarities with codes of the modern world. If one considers North America today, it can be observed that usurping an individual’s rights or enslaving them or taking away their freedom is unlawful and far from ethical.

Furthermore, any offender in a free nation has the absolute right to go through a trial despite the nature of the crime. In other words, an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Such notions were common with codes that were drafted in the 1700’s BC by Hammurabi.

The codes and laws today sees people as essential elements of society where each stratum is equally essential in order to build an optimally functioning society. This is why it was and is essential to ensure that everyone’s right to life was equally protected in order to build a well conglomerated social structure.