Were Hammurabi's Law Codes Just or Unjust?
Hammurabi was highly biased, selfish, and violent. He expected no one to have room for error or imperfection. If people did make mistakes it most definitely could cost them their life and or their family, property, or cause personal injury. Hammurabi came to the throne in Baybalon in 1792 BCE. Hammurabi took his father's place for the throne at just 18 years old. He was very cruel and wanted to rule more people and he did this by taking over many cities. He was instructed by the sun god, Shamash to take full pride in his ruling. Hammurabi claimed the purpose of the Law Codes was to protect widows and orphans. There were 282 law codes that were recorded on a stele pillar.
Some law codes were specifically directed at harming your family. It is ridiculous to threaten or curse a man's family as his punishment because of what he did. What did the family do to deserve whatever it is they are being harmed by? A man's family cannot control one's actions and depending on the situation they quite frankly have nothing to do with their child's irresponsible behavior. Law 195, ¨If a son has struck his father, his hands shall be cut off.¨ If a son has
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Law 196 states, "If a man has knocked out the eye of a free man, his eye shall be knocked out.¨ That doesn't make sense, even though he deserves to have his eye knocked out, it is not the way to handle the situation. People should be mature enough to understand that that is not how the world works. I understand that back then people didn't know that, that is not the way it works but they should at least feel some sympathy. However, they did not because they were cruel just like Hammurabi. Law 199 states, If he has knocked out the eye of a slave…he shall pay half his value.¨ These laws tell us that the poeple are not treated fairly in society because they are ranked based on their social