Why are laws necessary? They're necessary because a culture without strict law and justice would not last long. Criminal activity would prevent a flourishing economy. Trade with other civilizations would not exist because there is a great chance of being murdered and having your goods stolen by the person you're trading with. Before long, the society would collapse, and the place where they vacated soon would become the place where new settlers would make their home. These people would establish actual laws, and the courts would deal with all cases in a just manner. This aspiring culture would begin to grow, and spread. Trade would prosper, because all deals are done fairly, without the risk of losing your money or goods.
So, which do you think would be better? Before you answer that, examine three examples of how real cultures dealt with their criminals: one from the Babylonians, another from the Persians, and lastly from my own country, Canada.
A Degree of Murder
The upper part of the stela of Hammurapis' code of...
Code_of_Hammurabi.jpgThe Babylonian king Hammurabi is well known for his laws called The Code of Hammurabi. This set of laws lay down the basic rules of everyday life: No stealing, kidnapping, murdering, and the list goes on and on. The code comprises of 282 articles, of which 35 are missing . For most crimes the "eye for eye" principle is used, as Article 196 states.
"If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out. [An eye for an eye]"
For more severe crimes, such as murdering, stealing, and kidnapping, death is the penalty.
"If any one is committing a robbery and is caught, then he shall be put to death. "
A form of judging was also thought of by Hammurabi, called "trial by water". The accused was thrown into the water, and, if they...