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Then I don't know why the author didn't just say "his family will have to continue paying out of his estate". I suspect that kind of obligation is very legal an

by gaur 11y ago

Then I don't know why the author didn't just say "his family will have to continue paying out of his estate". I suspect that kind of obligation is very legal and common in most of Europe and North America (and probably elsewhere): if someone dies, their debts and contracts are settled against their estate. The way it's written, it sounds like the family was legally obligated to keep paying until Calment's death, even if the estate ran dry.

MichaelBurge 11y ago
The Bible mentions punishments continued to the children, and in some cases up to 10 generations from the person who committed it. A typical passage might say, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me". I think King David was only allowed to be king because he was the first generation in 10 after such an incident. I don't know if Israel today still has any crimes that punish the family. It also wouldn't matter for a civil agreement like this. However, in ancient Israel everyone's debts and land were forfeited every 7 and 49 years, so real estate would be priced according to how far the country was from a reset. That would certainly affect a similar agreement.
- jessaustin 11y ago
  It seems most impractical to levy any sort of punishment for ten generations. In the event the family survives that long, the entity charged with punishing them probably won't.
  - MichaelBurge 11y ago
    I think Nietzsche expressed something similar.
- gaur 11y ago
  When I said "hard to see how that would be legal", I meant it with regard to modern legal systems, not semi-fictional bronze age legal systems where people can be stoned to death for innocuous things.
  - MichaelBurge 11y ago
    If you're looking for a modern example, I think North Korea has a 'three generations of punishment' program. You and your family get sentenced to a labor camp, and if your children are born there they stay there too.

by gaur 11y ago

MichaelBurge 11y ago

The Bible mentions punishments continued to the children, and in some cases up to 10 generations from the person who committed it. A typical passage might say, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me". I think King David was only allowed to be king because he was the first generation in 10 after such an incident. I don't know if Israel today still has any crimes that punish the family. It also wouldn't matter for a civil agreement like this. However, in ancient Israel everyone's debts and land were forfeited every 7 and 49 years, so real estate would be priced according to how far the country was from a reset. That would certainly affect a similar agreement.

jessaustin 11y ago
It seems most impractical to levy any sort of punishment for ten generations. In the event the family survives that long, the entity charged with punishing them probably won't.
- MichaelBurge 11y ago
  I think Nietzsche expressed something similar.
gaur 11y ago
When I said "hard to see how that would be legal", I meant it with regard to modern legal systems, not semi-fictional bronze age legal systems where people can be stoned to death for innocuous things.
- MichaelBurge 11y ago
  If you're looking for a modern example, I think North Korea has a 'three generations of punishment' program. You and your family get sentenced to a labor camp, and if your children are born there they stay there too.