Final answer:
Hammurabi's Code and today's laws share the goal of providing structured societies and justice, but differ in the treatment of social classes and the approach to punishments. Modern laws emphasize equality and rehabilitation over the retributive 'eye for an eye' principle and have evolved to include fundamental legal principles such as the presumption of innocence.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compare and contrast Hammurabi's Code with today's laws, we must consider both the similarities and differences. Developed around 1754 BC, Hammurabi's Code established a legal framework for ancient Babylon, championing principles such as "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." This lex talionis approach to justice, where punishments often reflected the offense itself, differs from most modern legal systems which tend to prioritize rehabilitation over strictly punitive measures.
One major contrast lies in the treatment of individuals based on social status. The Code of Hammurabi imposed different penalties for the same crime, depending on whether the victim and perpetrator were aristocrats, commoners, or slaves. In contrast, most modern legal systems strive for equality before the law, regardless of one's social standing. However, the influence of socio-economic status on legal outcomes remains a topic of discussion in contemporary law.
Another distinction is the advent of legal principles such as presumption of innocence and the use of evidence, which were emerging ideas in Hammurabi's time but are now cornerstones of modern law. Though Hammurabi's Code did attempt to offer some legal protections and address fairness, these protections were comparatively rudimentary.
However, there are also similarities, as both ancient and modern legal systems aim to provide a structured and regulated society, to protect citizens from harm, and to enact justice. They also share the similarity of being written codes available for public reference, though the modern counterparts are far more extensive and complex.