Code vs. Law Imagine what it would be like to live without law. A place where people do exactly as they pleased without any regards to other people. I believe life would be a complete chaos. Law is one of societies most basic institutions, and one of the most effective tools to maintaining a stable living enviorment. It establishes a persons rights and obligations. The law also sets corrections or penalties to those who violate it. Although laws change, most people agree that justice is the main focus behind each law made. Many years ago, one of the first attempts to institutionalize law was in ancient Mesopotamia. Which is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This location is commonly known as modern day Iraq. Hammurabi was an ancient king that ruled Babylon from 1792 to 1750 B.C. In the beginning of his reign, the kingdom was separated into city-states, all with their own shifty rules. Over time Hammurabi brought the whole region into his control. He then collected laws from each city-state and then began to develop a set of codes that would soon govern the entire area. His written code allowed law to be known as public knowledge. This helped advance the concept of the rule of law in society. He developed the idea of "an eye for an eye", in which he developed specific punishments for specific crimes or things done against the law or code. He also believed that the punishments should coordinate with the crime committed. Therefore, a