imate ▁goal ▁of ▁formal ism ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁formal ise ▁the ▁underlying ▁principles ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁and ▁determin ate ▁system ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁applied ▁mechan ically ▁( h ence ▁the ▁label ▁' me chan ical ▁juris pr ud ence '). ▁F ormal ism ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁' the ▁official ▁theory ▁of ▁jud ging '. ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁th esis ▁to ▁which ▁legal ▁real ism ▁is ▁the ▁ant ith esis . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁norm ative ▁theory , ▁formal ism ▁is ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁jud ges ▁should ▁decide ▁cases ▁by ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁un cont ro vers ial ▁principles ▁to ▁the ▁facts . ▁ ▁Definition ▁F ormal ism ▁remains ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁and ▁important ▁theories ▁of ▁adj ud ic ation ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁the ▁th esis ▁to ▁which ▁real ism ▁is ▁the ▁ant ith esis . ▁F ormal ism ▁sees ▁adj ud ic ation ▁as ▁the ▁un cont ro vers ial ▁application ▁of ▁accepted ▁principles ▁to ▁known ▁facts ▁to ▁derive ▁the ▁outcome ▁in ▁the ▁manner ▁of ▁a ▁ded uct ive ▁s yl log ism . ▁ ▁F ormal ists ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁relevant ▁principles ▁of ▁law ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁area ▁can ▁be ▁disc ern ed ▁by ▁surve ying ▁the ▁case ▁law ▁of ▁that ▁area . ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁Lang d ell ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁resources ▁needed ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁science ▁of ▁law ▁was ▁a ▁law ▁library . ▁ ▁F ormal ism ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁an ▁' aut onom ous ▁discipline ', ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁formal ist ▁belief ▁that