Introduction
In every period of human development, specific juridical structures and laws formed how people live and perceive each other. One of the most essential parts of these rules is how people should interact in society. This essay will explore such aspects as marriage, divorce, and adoption in the contracts of people of Mesopotamia. In addition, their way of life, values, and social structure will be discussed. There are crucial differences between Mesopotamia’s social structure and rules and the current America.
Contracts and the People
Gender Roles
The three contacts regarding the marriage process from Mesopotamia can provide data about how the people lived then and their values. First, these contracts describe the relationship between the future wife and husband. Particular attention should be paid to the prescribed actions of a male. All three contracts highlight his role as a leading partner in relationships and before them. A man should act as an initiator of marriage and ask the woman’s parents to deal with him regarding giving him their daughter (Barton 14).
On the other hand, women were assessed as objects rather than human beings. It is due to the fact that according to the contract, they would receive a much greater punishment than men. For example, during divorce, women will have fewer rights and more significant penalties than men, which stresses the unfairness and inequality of genders at that period.
Divorce
Consequently, these contracts have considerable value in understanding the historical aspects of these people’s perception of life. The specific contract about divorce states the rights of both men and women. Remarkably, everything depends on who decides to make a divorce. For example, if the man did it, he would be required to pay for the aliments (Barton 15). However, according to Barton, “but if she divorces him, she was to be put to death” (15). It is another evidence of inappropriate and unfair assessment of gender equality of these people.
Adoption
Another type of contract relates to adoption. Notably, these documents describe which specifications the process of adoption of a son by the father should have. As a result, one can say that the father has much more rights in this process than the adopted son. For example, contracts say that in the case of willingness to stop the relations with the adopted son from the son’s side, the father will have to bind him with chains and sell him (Barton 16). On the other hand, when the father is willing, he should depart the adopted son’s goods. These statements also show the dominance of the mature male in these people’s lives.
People’s Values and Society
As the principal value of these people, one should underline their desire to see their society with strict and transparent rules. These rules of life should determine their relationships, between wife and husband and between son and father. Particular contracts highlight the supreme position of men and their superior rights. Therefore, these contracts say that people from Mesopotamia of this period had a patriarchate system of society.
In addition, one should state that their society requires thorough knowledge of these contracts and rules from every member to set up a qualitative following of them. While considering marriage contracts, it is also possible to state that money plays a vital role in resolving various situations. They act as tools to manage the relationships when one of the sides tends to divorce (Barton 18). This point stresses the value of people finding the right way to find pragmatic solutions.
Comparison with Contracts of Contemporary America
Marriage Status
When comparing past and present marriage agreements, two factors are crucial. First, the point of the marriage itself is closely connected with the governmental processes. This means that, according to current contracts in America, people who decide to marry should obtain a marriage license (Pettit 33). For this, they should apply to a government office and provide it with all the necessary data regarding their personalities (Pettit 10). It creates the main difference between the contracts of Mesopotamia and current America regarding the manifestation of both partners’ agreement, rules, and juridical aspects in the documents.
Divorce
In addition, the second part that should be considered is the divorce process, which is also a part of modern contracts. For them, couples use prenuptial agreements, which help them understand how their properties, including financial issues, will be divided in the case of divorce. Compared with the period of Mesopotamia, one should state that the current contracts allow one to eliminate misunderstandings and the need for severe actions, which were popular long ago.
Adoption
In addition to marriage and divorce contracts, paying attention to the contracts related to adoption and comparing modern America with Mesopotamia is essential. In the case of adoptions, one should stress that these contracts in current times in America also require close collaboration with legal authorities (Arkenberg n. d.). This means that the government, particularly the court, will control the rightfulness of the process and outcomes according to current laws (Arkenberg n. d.). It should be highlighted that such points, described in Mesopotamia’s contracts, such as the willingness of the father or adopted son and their consequences, differ from the current ones.
The primary attention of the current contracts is paid to the agreements between biological and adoptive parents (Pettit 13). Both sides should agree on the process, and no other problems will occur in the future (Pettit 23). Therefore, the main difference between the current contracts and those in Mesopotamia is the dealing with government structures to establish qualitative and fair relationships.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is crucial to state that the underdeveloped rules of living in Mesopotamia can be considered an illustrative example of these laws’ severe and unfair outcomes. The absence of such aspects as gender equality shows the importance of constantly improving concepts regarding marriage, divorce, and adoption. However, the current contracts showed significant differences compared to those in Mesopotamia. Therefore, collaboration with specific government institutions should be established to minimize society’s adverse outcomes and unfairness.
Works Cited
Barton, George. “Contracts,” in Assyrian and Babylonian Literature: Selected Transactions, With a Critical Introduction by Robert Francis Harper. D. Appleton & Company, 1904.
Arkenberg, Jerome. Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton.
Pettit, Philip, and Goodin, Robert. Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Anthology. Wiley, 2019.