Mr. Chauncey’s History Classes

39 responses so far ↓

• 1    Jake // Jan 9, 2007 at 10:11 am

  I think that Hammurabi’s Code is fair. Although I think that if it is an acident then you should be forgiven. Unless there is a person who has died from this accident where you should be charged with manslaughter. I completly agree with an eye for an eye if it was not an acident.

  Mr.C- You need to explain why you think it is fair with a little more detail.  Are the laws fair because they are so harsh or because they are written down for all to know?

• 2    Chris U // Jan 9, 2007 at 10:12 am

  I think that these laws are fair. I think that because if you kill someone then you should be killed too. I think that everyone would go by these rules.

  Mr.C- Does the harshness of the punishment make the Laws fair…or just harsh?  Think about how laws and punishments may have been administered prior to laws being written down.  Would you know if you had necessarily broken a law or what the consequences might be?

• 3    George // Jan 9, 2007 at 12:56 pm

  I think the hammurabi’s code is unfair because, if a slave stuck a gentleman in the face he would have his ear chopped off and the punishment does not fit the crime!!!!!!!!!!

  Mr. C-Is a harsh punishment the same as an unfair punishment?  Does the slave know what will happen if he decides to slap the gentleman….if so is this fair?

• 4    Kyle // Jan 9, 2007 at 12:59 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s Code is unfair. If you were a surgeon and you killed your patient by accedent you would get your hand chopped off. People die modern day life by mistakes surgeons make. The laws are very harsh but some are fair.

  Mr.C- Do Doctors today get punished if they make a mistake? (Yes!)  Are you concerned about the harshness of the punishment or whether being punished is fair?

• 5    David // Jan 9, 2007 at 1:00 pm

  These rules/laws are partly fair I do have an argument about cutting off the doctors hands if their patients die. because without their hands they cant perform any more surgeries. But in all these laws/rules are mostly fair, and with these laws people will try to do everything right (because they know what to expect if they do not, since the laws and punishments are all recorded?) so that there will be no problems in life.

  Mr.C- Why might the punishments have been so harsh….is there a good reason for making this way?  Good Job

• 6    Diana // Jan 9, 2007 at 2:47 pm

  I think Hammurabi’s code is unfair because the punishments are different depending on the person. If a slave hurts or kills a noble the punishment is different from a noble hurting or killing a slave. They should be the same but I do think that the code would definatly help for people to live better and more safely.

  Mr.C- So the laws are unequal…but is this the same as unfair?  Do people know what to expect if they break the law?

• 7    Allison // Jan 9, 2007 at 3:10 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s Code is unfair because if it was truly an accident you should be forgiven. But if you did the crime on purpose you should get punished for your actions. This was also on of the first acts of people obeying laws and starting civilizations. His code may have been drastic but it got the world obeying laws and starting civilization.

  Mr. C- I think you are trying to make the distinction between “harsh” and “fair” which are not the same thing.  Is it helpful to know what the laws are so that you can obey them?  Would it be “fair” to be punished for breaking a law that you had no way of knowing( not written down)?

• 8    Jacqui // Jan 9, 2007 at 3:20 pm

  I think that the code is fair and unfair in different ways. I agree with Jake, the code is unfair when there is an accident because people should be forgiven. Though, sometimes you can’t tell whether or not the person has made a mistake. I also think that the ranks are unfair; it doesn’t say anything about a gentle man being punished…only the “men” and “slaves” get punishments. This is because the “men” and “slaves” are a lower rank than the gentlemen. I do understand why they have these rules; they have the rules because the people need guidelines to follow so the law/punishments will be more predictable (Which is fair?). So I guess the code isn’t very fair (equal?), but I do understand why they have it.

   Mr.C- Good answer….Think about wheher or not “fair” is the same as “equal”.

• 9    Katie // Jan 9, 2007 at 3:26 pm

  I think that this (what example are you referring to) is a very unfair punishment. The reason I think this is becuase sometimes people are going to make mistakes. I think that cutting out an eye is a little harsh. Although, the people should be tought some kind of lesson. I mean, I think that it is kind of hard to make someone blind. Like, you have to be doing something risky or just doing a bad job. Therefore, in the end, I don not agree with this code. Like i have givin examples for, I think that there should be some kind of punishment for making someone blind, but like being sued or put in jail or something. Not getting your eye cut out.

  Mr.C- Is there a good reason to make punishemnts so harsh?  What if you know ahead of time what your punishment will be if you do make a mistake?  Is this fair?

• 10    Chandler // Jan 9, 2007 at 3:26 pm

  I think that Hammburabi’s laws were fair to a certain extent. Some of the laws were a little too harsh and fowl, but the idea( What is the idea?….explain!) is a good one. They helped the people of Babylon think about how to settle, or resolve conflicts in their lives. This code was a also a good idea because it made sure people were in order, not wild, and were disciplined. One thing I really do not agree with is that your class mattered in choosing what your punishment would be.

  Mr.C- Sounds as though you think the laws are fair….but harsh and not necessarily equal.

• 11    maria // Jan 9, 2007 at 3:29 pm

  I think its fair but i think some of it isn’t beacuse if you treat somebody bad your getting back.ALso agree with david that the doctors shouldnt get their hands cut off because then they couldnt do other surgeries. I also agree with george because if you hit a entlemen in the face why would ypu get your ear cutt off? I think it should be equal punishment

  Mr. C- What if the doctor’s mistake was preventable?  Is there a difference between being “fair” and “equal”?

• 12    Beth // Jan 9, 2007 at 6:28 pm

  Personally, I think that Hammurabi’s Code is a great way to keep a group of people…or now a town or city…in shape and together. Well, I mean referring to class in the punishment of hurting someone…I think is not right. I mean, if (as the code says) “If a man has destroyed the eye of a man OF THE CLASS OD GENTLEMEN, they shall destroy his eye.” So, if you take out a rich guys eye…you have do take out your own, but if the guy is poor, nothing will happen? I don’t think that is right. It’s just so stereotypical. The thing I like about these laws is that:
  a.) If people know about these punishments…there would be less crime, for they don’t want to have their hand cutt-off. There will even be less crime for the tiny stuff. (although people today know about jail and everything…it’s not like they know (or will) get their ear cut off.) It also forces people like surgeons to try their best on each and every paitient, and work hard. Plus, it’s not like the surgeon killed the patient on purpose, he tried…so I don’t think it would be right if the code had said he would die. (Which none of the code does…so you can’t really complain.)
  b.)People will get…”revenge” thrown upon them…like if you hurt someone…gues what buddy? You’re getting hurt too! This seem like the right way to do things..it’s just like the saying “What comes around, goes around.”, just it would be “You kill a guy, you’re going underground.” or something. I really think we should have stayed with some sort of these rules…our whole world might be so much better…but I think we would have to change things like…if you smack a GENTLEMAN, you get your ear cut off, it just gives the right for people to go around smacking every poor person there is! I know that in the time of slavery, these rules could not of survived…but I think that the goverment could do their part in helping the world…and stopping those phyco’s that go around killing everyone in their sight. I respect Hammurabi’s Code for it makes more sense than a lot of our world today.

  Mr.C- Awesome Job, Beth!  You clearly put some time and consideration into your response.

• 13    connor // Jan 10, 2007 at 6:36 pm

  i believe Hammurabi’s Code is fair, but could use some revisions. His ideas are fair as in if you mess up, there is a punishment. People will make mistakes because we are human, but if its something stupid like a gentleman breaking a slaves arm, thats not a mistake, its something they did with out think and they should pay the consiquences. Revisions can be made because having a steeper penalty just because u injured a gentleman instead of a slave is unfair. People shouldn’t have different penalties for their social status. Other than having the same penalty for everyone, Hammurabi’s Code is fair.

  Mr.C- What makes the law code “fair” though…..is it that you can expect a punishment for a misdeed or that you know you will be punished, and how, if you break the law?

• 14    Lindsay // Jan 10, 2007 at 6:39 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s code was unfair. I think this because althought it is good to have laws that people have to fallow, the punishments were unfair. I think that the punishmenst are really harsh for certain things. I think that people should defintly be punished in some way for doing something wrong, yet I think that a punishment like cutting a doctor’s hand off of accidentally killing a patient is a little over the top. I do agree with the whole idea of them having laws and everything like that, I just think that the punishments were a too harsh.

  Mr. C- Good comment…what are some other ideas that might back up your opinion that the laws are unfair (social classes?)

• 15    Sophie // Jan 11, 2007 at 10:29 am

  I think that Hammurabi’s Code was resonable to think about back in the time when it happened yet, if it were a law today after there have been thousands of laws it would be totally insane  (Are you referring to a particular law or the Law Code as a whole?  Do we have all of our laws written down?). The general idea for it was ok, so I think that Hammurabi meant well but the law should have been fair for everybody no matter their social rank and these days that is obvious. The “eye for an eye” part is a good thought but they take it to a certain extent where it isn’t that reasonable anymore (such as…). All in all it could have been better but they were the first laws in history so we have to give them a little slack.

  Mr. C- Good Job… but you mioght want to expand on a few of your thoughts to clarify your ideas for the reader.

• 16    Bryan // Jan 11, 2007 at 12:12 pm

  I think that the laws of Hammurabi were fair because the people could settle conflict.  It made sure the laws were applied fairly to all.

  Mr. C- Expand your ideas….What allowed the Code settle or prevent conflict?

• 17    richard // Jan 11, 2007 at 8:38 pm

  Hammurabi’s Code is fair until it come to the part that it is based on social classes,but I like the concept of eye for an eye.  

  Mr. C- Expand your thoughts….Why do you like the “eye for an eye” concept?

• 18    mary // Jan 12, 2007 at 10:03 am

  i think it was kinda (kind of ) unfaire, but it was kinda faire too because in the book it said “a man who blined another person would have his own eye put out“. however the code did not apply equally to all people. the code gave different punishments for breaking the same rues. the harshness of the punishment depened on how important the victem was. the higher the class of the victem, the stiffer the punishment.thus an ox owner would pay half a mina of silver if the ox gored a noble. if the victem was a slave, the owner would pay only “one third of a mina.”

  Mr. C- Good Job…Even if the punishments are harsh or unequal, does it matter if they are written down?  You need to capitalize the first word of each sentence!

• 19    Emily M // Jan 12, 2007 at 10:09 am

  I think the laws weren’t fair because it (Punishment?)all depends on social class. You can’t help if you were captured and sold as a slave. But it is a good way to keep a large group of people in order. On the other hand it was fair because the laws were applied fairly to people in the same classes. The important thing was that it was written down for all to see and because of that everyone knew what they should do and what they shouldn’t.

  Mr. C- Nice job

• 20    miranda // Jan 12, 2007 at 6:04 pm

  I think Hammurabi’s code is somewhat fair, because if people break these laws, the criminals will know their punishments. It is NOT fair, because they are based on social class. If you are a person of a lower class, you have a harsher punishment than if you are a person of a higher class. When you are a person of higher class, you only have to pay a fine if you put someone’s eye out. But, if you are a peasant, if you put an eye of a person of higher class out, your eye will be put out.

  Mr. C- Here’s something to think about….What if the ancient Mesopotamians did not have a concept of “equality” as we do?

• 21    Becca // Jan 13, 2007 at 5:05 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s code is both fair and unfair. It is fair because it sets a rule for people to follow. But I agree with the quote “an eye for an eye,” because if you do something to that extreme as to take out a gentleman’s eye that you should be punished and get your eye taken out so you know how it feels and go through the same pain. I also agree with this code because since it is written down people know that if they do something in the code that they are going to be punished if they are caught. Also because a judge can not say guilty or not guilty, because they might know the person who committed the crime.
  I think that Hammurabi’s code is also unfair because of the social class ranking.
  I think if a person breaks a bone of a gentleman’s slave that they should have the same fine as broken a bone as a commoner. To add on to that I think they should not DISCRIMINATE by their ranking on the social ladder.
  I also disagree with the section in Hammurabi’s code that says “If a surgeon performed a major operation on a citizen with a bronze lancet (knife) and has caused the death of this citizen…his hand should be cut off.” I think that this quote (law) is not a good idea. I think that because if they cut the surgeons hand off he can not do any more surgeries because his hand is cut off. Also because he can not do MAJOR surgeries and save peoples lives and there might not of been many surgeons so people could of died more than that one death. And because 1 death is better than 20+.

  Mr. C- Well Done!

• 22    Alex // Jan 13, 2007 at 6:23 pm

  I think Hummurabi’s code was fair. It helped to settle conflicts, but i think the punishments were a little harsh. It might have been reasonable back then but if these were the laws today, it would be crazy. I agree with “an eye for an eye” but i think that if u blinded someone that you should go to jail for ten years instead of being blinded also. But if you blinded someone by accident i think you should be forgiven. Like if a doctor’s patient was going to die and he tried to save him but he died anyway, he should be forgiven, but if he forgot an important step because he was tired and was careless than he should be punished It is also unfair because it is based on social class. A poor person should get the same punishment as the king. I think that Hammurabi had the right idea when he made up the laws and he meant them to be good but they could have been more reasonable and not be based on social class. they were the first set of written laws so you cant expect them to be perfect. But overall i think they were pretty fair.

  Mr. C- Good Job

• 23    TYLER!!!!! // Jan 14, 2007 at 1:13 pm

  i think hamuabi’s code is unfair. i think it is unfair because the richer more respectid people get more leeway. but if the lower class people do something wrong they pay the consiquenses. thats why i think it’s unfair.

  Mr. C- Some good ideas…make sure that you proofread to avoid simple punctuation/grammar mistakes.  Can you give examples to illustrate your ideas?

• 24    Kira // Jan 14, 2007 at 2:01 pm

  At first, Hammurabi’s Code seems unfair. This is because there are different punishments regarding socially different people. When you look at it, though, the “eye for an eye” treatment is fair and reasonable.

   Mr. C- Can you give some examples to back up your thoughts?

• 25    suren // Jan 14, 2007 at 3:59 pm

  I think Hammurabi’s code was fair but his punishments were unfair
  because depending on their social class they got punished. His punishments were also very harsh because if a patient was going to die anyway but he died after a surgery the doctor shouldn’t be punished but if the doctor was careless and was not focused he should be punished. Overall I think these are pretty fair rulle for the first written rules.

  Mr.C- You use most of your response to say how the law code is unfair, but end your response by saying they were fair…..So why is Hammurabi’s Code fair? 

• 26    Brad // Jan 14, 2007 at 5:26 pm

  I think that for the time, Hammurabi’s code was completely legitiment (legitimate). As one of the first civilizations to actually have real set laws was amazing. It gave people the chance to know what was acceptable behavior and what they would be punished for. Even though I mostly support Hammurabi’s code I have to agree with almost everybody that the fact that if you are ranked in a higher social class your punishment will be less harshe seems pretty unfair. I think that back in the ancient civilizations of Babylonia nobody found this code particularly harsh, but if it were applied today in the 21st centurie people would never agree with such rules.

  Mr.C- Nice job, Brad.  I think to point out that there is a great time difference is important.  What would be considered harsh and cruel in one time or place might not be in another.

• 27    Maddie // Jan 14, 2007 at 6:09 pm

  Hammurabi’s code is not an eye for an eye unless you are the same social class. If a slave DID hurt a noble man his ear would be cut off, but if a noble man hurt a noble man he would pay a fine. Noble men would have power over lower class men or women. The king “Hammurabi” would be at the top of the rank and then noble men and so on. Hammurabi could kill or hurt some one for fun with out even paying a fine.

  Mr. C- You make a good point about the inequalities of Hammurabi’s Code and how social class factors into the punishments.  Remember though that this ancient society is structure differently from our own…so is it FAIR?

• 28    emily c // Jan 14, 2007 at 8:48 pm

  I think that hammurabi’s code was not fair. This is because all people are meant to be treated equally but instead people are punished depending on the social class of the victem. Everyone should have the same punshment if they did the same crime.

  Mr. C- Is it fair if you know what you can expect for a punishment if you break the law?

• 29    nick // Jan 14, 2007 at 9:21 pm

  I think hammurabi’s code is pretty fair. The reason for this is almost always you get back to you what you do to someone else, if you are in the same “social class”. If you are in a lower social class and do something bad to a higher classman, the punishment will be more severe. If you are in a high social class and do something bad to one in a low social class, you simply have to pay a fine. It is also un fair for te reason that lower social classes can be treated badly and the other person will not be punished severly, but if they do it to the higher classman they will have and exremely severe punishment. In conclusion I think hammurabi’s code is fair in some ways but unfair in others.

  Mr. C- Can you give any more to show how the laws could be considered fair?

• 30    Emily G // Jan 16, 2007 at 9:03 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s code is pretty fair. It gave people a guide to live by. They knew what was expected of them (+++). I do not agree with the social class part of the code. It was not as fair (equal?) to the lower classes because they would receive a bigger punishment than people in the higher class. Even though it said an eye for an eye, it really did not mean it because it did not apply to the upper classes.

   Mr. C- Good response

• 31    Chris W. // Jan 19, 2007 at 12:19 pm

  I think that the Hammurabi’s code is ufair because even though it lets people know the law they souldn’t diffrentiate the punishments by social class.

   Mr.C- Can you give any examples to back up your thoughts?

• 32    cam // Jan 19, 2007 at 12:21 pm

  I think hammurabi’s code is fair because its I (eye) for an I (eye) 

  Mr. C- Make sure you are writing to the best of your ability….(capitalization rules/punctuation).  Can you explain what “eye for and eye” is or give an example so the reader knows what you mean?

• 33    Nicole // Jan 19, 2007 at 2:23 pm

  The laws of Hammurabi’s Code are fair because everyone will know them beforehand and will get a fair chance (How will they know this?) ,  but the king grades the punishment by the poeple’s social class. For example if a slave slaps a gentleman they will have thier ear cut off for punishment. That part is not fair. Or is it?

  Mr. C- Not bad, Nicole.  Make sure you express your ideas fully….How is it that everyone knows what to expect?  The Hammurabi’s laws are written!

• 34    Shivang // Jan 21, 2007 at 10:54 am

  I think Hammurabi’s Code is fair but the punishments where unfair because if a slave slapped a persson in a higher social class then their ear would get chopped of but if a prson in a higher social class slapped a slave nothing would happen.

• 35    nick // Jan 21, 2007 at 2:58 pm

  Hammurabi’s code is fair in the way that there is a punishment if you commit a crime, no matter what social level you are you still are punished. It is unfair because the punishments vary deppending on the person who commited the crime was. For example if a noble pokes out another nobles eye he will get his eye poked out but if a noble pokes out a slaves eye he will only be fined

• 36    belle // Jan 22, 2007 at 9:11 am

  Hammurabi’s code was fair, not equal, but fair. It applied to everyone, and everyone who commited a crime was punished. However, the punishment may not have been the same for everyone. But the most important thing to remember about Hammurabi’s code was that it was written down. That means no one could say, “well i didn’t know!” But even more important than that, they could not be changed. It was the first attempt to create rules everyone had to follow, and it worked well. Although, that is compromised by the fact that it was created by one person, and it was what he thinks is fair, not neccesarily what everyone thinks is fair.

• 37    zac // Jan 22, 2007 at 9:56 am

  I think Hammurabi’s code was fair sometimes. i think it is fair because, for example if a doctor does not do a surgery correct then he will get his hand choped off. it is not fair because of the levels of welth. for example if a slave slapps a king he will die but if a king slappes a slave nothing will happen

• 38    Megan // Jan 23, 2007 at 8:13 pm

  I think that Hammurabi’s code was fair to some people, but to other people not as fair. If you were someone in a high social class then it would be fair but if you were in a lower social class, it would not be as fair. I personally think that it is not fair that if someone (in a higher class than you) poked your eye out, you might just get paid (maybe not even), and you would not have the right to do the same back to them.

• 39    cam // Feb 4, 2007 at 1:30 pm

  Hamurabi’s Code was fair in many ways,The biggest one was that it was eye for an eye. Eye for an eye means your punishment is the same as what you did. For example, If someone cut off your arm, a punishment would be to have their arm cut off.

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