Law and Morality in Sumerian Satirical Tales | Jana Matuszak, ISAC

Law and Morality in Sumerian Satirical Tales
Jana Matuszak, ISAC, University of Chicago
Ancient Iraq is famous for producing the world’s earliest compilations of casuistic law; the Laws of Hammurabi being the most renowned example. But what happens when a legal problem occurs that has not been considered by royal legislation? Jana Matuszak, assistant professor of Sumerology, ISAC, explores two Sumerian short stories that raise potentially subversive questions - and provide surprising solutions.
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[@WhatHaveIMade]

A really interesting and insightful lecture. Great job!

[@bookwyrms.2658]

Law and moral principles - both excellent targets for satire!

[@tankrabbit534]

The stories can be the root of the legal thinking, where a person acting unlawfully/amorally can`t claim any benefit of that action. Rough translation: "no one may rely on his own fault to obtain an advantage; However, fault on the other party may also be invoked by someone who did not act in a way that would normally be expected in the given situation" [as part of the Civil Code in Hungary: Ptk. 4. §-nak (4) bekezdésében foglalt rendelkezés szerint saját felróható magatartására előnyök szerzése végett senki sem hivatkozhat; a másik fél felróható magatartására azonban az is hivatkozhat, aki maga sem úgy járt el, ahogy az az adott helyzetben általában elvárható.]

[@istvanszakacs2109]

OMG....the history just got feminist....🙄

[@WhatHaveIMade]

Aw, the snowflake melted before the lecture even started...

[@Calyrekt]

13:27 hilarious thank you for providing these wonderful lectures! 🤍