Hammurabi’s Code, The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, and an Assyrian Law and a Palace Decree essentially discusses the relationship between justice and the law in the individual civilizations. Each bring out different understandings of the communities on how justice applies in society as well as how we refer to such laws today.
Hammurabi's code refers to the set of rules or laws that were put into place by the Babylonian king: Hammurabi. Setting the basis for most modern laws, this code was meant to provide a sense of direction for the people of his empire regarding justice and morality. This code composed of approximately 300 commandments addresses several common disputes ranging from homicide, assault, adoption, and debt, to many other uncommon…show more content… Unlike today, men and women were not treated equally. This particular concept of justice arose because in the Babylonian society, there were three classes of people, including those who owned property, the freemen, and the slaves of property owners. Hammurabi’s code required many severe punishments but were measured in regard to the person’s social class, having property owners belong to the highest class and also receive the most lenient punishments compared to slaves (Reilly, 2012). As stated, this direct notion can be pragmatic today when considering the utilitarian view when administering punishments to the…show more content… For instance, if someone were murdered, the family of the person who was murdered could decide how the murderer was to die. This concept of justice was, again, based upon revenge (Reilly, 2012). This concept could be applied in the present-day society so that it can discourage offenders from committing the crime. Ultimately, it would keep people from committing crimes in general.
The palace decree included a statement of justice that was put into place by the leader, or king of the civilization. This idea of justice was founded upon the concept that the king was the upholder of law and order, meaning he had the power guarantee justice to everyone he reigned over (Reilly, 2012). This concept of justice can be applied in the present society by ensuring the rule of law