Today, China is ranked as the nation with the largest population in the world. It is also a fact that China is one of the countries whose economy is growing at a very rapid pace. It is absolutely imperative to note that capitalism has been dominant in this nation, which has allowed it to not only grow stronger but also gain great regional and global influence. Even as China has rediscovered elements of its ancient tradition and repackaged them to be in line with modernity, it is clear that the visions embraced are very different from Western ones. The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee is a perfect publication that sheds light to the reader on the various social, political and moral issues that existed in China decades ago and the ways to resolve them. Comparing legal issues in China decades ago, a fine line can be drawn. This is intrinsically due to the fact that not much has changed in terms of social, political and moral perspectives. Judge Dee's famous cases borrow heavily from Chinese culture, which defines the standard morals and values of its people. As a result, this nation's legal system appears to rely entirely on defined moral standards in reprimanding transgressors. Morality is one of the fundamental issues raised in Judge Dee's famous cases. It is crucial to note that the moral dimension revealed in this book comes from the exposed Chinese culture. Chinese culture is an important issue that is revealed as Judge Dee continues to fulfill his noble duty. This manual provides the reader with a perspective of Chinese culture. During the most extraordinary Tang Dynasty, Judge Dee was a famous magistrate and statesman of a city called Chang-ping. Dee's fame was linked to the unity in mourning the death through execution and the exposure of the guilty to the public. It was also a way to cleanse the murdered people of the humiliations they might have left behind. All the crimes committed in the book were solved. There are three main crimes highlighted in this book and they are of a criminal nature. However, in my opinion, the resulting consequences were neither fair nor just. This is typically because, in issuing the final ruling, Judge Dee relied on Asian influence. This could have been misleading as it depended on ghosts, dreams and superstitions, which are unreliable sources of information for making a critical judgement. Torturing the guilty as a way of demanding confession raises a moral question. This is because it can force an innocent person to confess to a crime they did not commit.
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