Laws

I think civilizations have laws to protect people and to stop crimes. Because people need to live in order to preserve and create generations. If people were not protected they could all die and the civilization could be lost. Also some people smoke, drink alchohol, and use drugs. These habits are bad for health and should be prevented. Other people could do things much worse, for example burglary, murder which are crimes and such people should be punished to prevent further crimes. The laws help prevent bad effects from bad habits as well as protect people from crimes.

But I think Hammurabi's laws were too terrible and inhuman. They seem to have been designed to excessively punish rather than to prevent and protect. I mean just because the son hits his father doesn't mean that the father should cut of his arm. By inflicting such a heavy punishment, the father is not giving any opportunity for the son to improve. The son now has to live the life without an arm. This is neither good for the son nor for the father. There are many similar examples to show that Hammurabi's law were too cruel and are not relevant in 21st century.