External Formality: The Veneer of Legal and Social Order

Based on the materials published in the text (file: link txt), one can propose the following interpretation of the fragment “вн +++”: this fragment most likely indicates the principle of external, formal organization of social and legal relations, in which the emphasis lies not so much on internal fairness as on the adherence to established forms and external elements.

For example, one excerpt states:

"Every noble knight, within his own castle, was a separate state. Therefore, the relationships among noble persons could only have an external, formal character. Likewise, their relationships with other estates had to bear an external, formal character. Consequently, the development of civil law in Western states acquired a similar meaning—an external, ostentatiously formal character that lay at the very foundation of social relations. Roman law, which continued to live and operate in certain individual cities in Europe, further reinforced this orientation toward external formality within European jurisprudence. For Roman law possesses that same external formal character, in which the external letter of the form overshadows internal fairness; perhaps because Roman social life itself evolved from the constant struggle of two opposing peoples forcibly united into one state." (source: link txt)

This quote demonstrates that the type of formality under discussion—external correctness, organized around the observance of the law’s letter—becomes the foundation of the entire social structure. In this context, the term “вн +++” may serve as a characterization of relationships where the focus is not on internal essence or fairness, but on their external form, reproduced and formally codified. Thus, one might speculate that the fragment expresses the idea of the predominance of external ceremoniousness and formal adherence to norms, even if such form leaves the intrinsic content neglected.

Furthermore, a second fragment from the same source clarifies:

"This character clearly represents for us the social and family life of Rome, which logically and irrevocably deformed the natural and moral relationships of people, as accidentally expressed by the external letter of the law. The same character is embodied in Roman poetry, which strived to artistically perfect external forms borrowed from foreign inspiration. Similarly, their language reflects this character, having suppressed, under the artificial orderliness of grammatical constructions, the natural freedom and the vivid immediacy of soulful expressions. We see this same character in the most famous Roman laws, where the orderliness of external formality has been brought to such a marvelous logical perfection, albeit with a remarkable absence of internal fairness." (source: link txt)

From this passage it follows that formal, external appearance not only permeates legal systems but also manifests itself in culture, literature, and language. This portrayal of external character underscores that it is precisely the formal, even sometimes artificial, elements of society’s structure that can achieve a high level of logical orderliness, despite a lack of deep, internal fairness.

Thus, possible interpretations of the fragment “вн +++” include:
1. Its understanding as a symbol of the external, formal organization of social relations, where the primary focus is on form rather than internal content.
2. The notion that within a system of social norms and laws entrenched in external strictness, real fairness might be absent—a reality reflected in culture and law, analogous to the Roman experience.

Such an interpretation of the fragment allows us to view it not only as a designation of an external shell but also as a critique of a mechanistic approach, where behind an externally logical formality lies the absence of a vibrant, internal harmony and true justice.

Supporting citation(s):
"Every noble knight, within his own castle, was a separate state. Therefore, the relationships among noble persons could only have an external, formal character. Likewise, their relationships with other estates had to carry an external, formal character. Consequently, the development of civil law in Western states acquired a similar meaning—an external, ostentatiously formal character that lay at the very foundation of social relations. Roman law, which continued to live and operate in certain individual cities in Europe, further reinforced this orientation toward external formality within European jurisprudence. For Roman law possesses that same external formal character, in which the external letter of the form overshadows internal fairness; perhaps because Roman social life itself evolved from the constant struggle of two opposing peoples forcibly united into one state." (source: link txt)

"This character clearly represents for us the social and family life of Rome, which logically and irrevocably deformed the natural and moral relationships of people, as accidentally expressed by the external letter of the law. The same character is embodied in Roman poetry, which strived to artistically perfect external forms borrowed from foreign inspiration. Similarly, their language reflects this character, having suppressed, under the artificial orderliness of grammatical constructions, the natural freedom and the vivid immediacy of soulful expressions. We see this same character in the most famous Roman laws, where the orderliness of external formality has been brought to such a marvelous logical perfection, albeit with a remarkable absence of internal fairness." (source: link txt)

External Formality: The Veneer of Legal and Social Order

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