, ▁or ▁either ▁of ▁them ; ▁to ▁the ▁end ▁[ that ▁Massachusetts ' ▁government ] ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁government ▁of ▁laws , ▁and ▁not ▁of ▁men ". ▁F ormal ism ▁see ks ▁to ▁maintain ▁that ▁separation ▁as ▁a ▁" theory ▁that ▁law ▁is ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁rules ▁and ▁principles ▁independent ▁of ▁other ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁institutions ". ▁ ▁Com parison ▁to ▁legal ▁real ism ▁Leg al ▁formal ism ▁can ▁be ▁contrast ed ▁to ▁legal ▁instrument al ism , ▁a ▁view ▁associated ▁with ▁American ▁legal ▁real ism . ▁Inst rument al ism ▁is ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁cre ativity ▁in ▁the ▁interpretation ▁of ▁legal ▁texts ▁is ▁just ified ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ass ure ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁serves ▁good ▁public ▁policy ▁and ▁social ▁interests , ▁although ▁legal ▁instrument al ists ▁could ▁also ▁see ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁law ▁as ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁justice ▁or ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁human ▁rights . ▁Leg al ▁formal ists ▁counter ▁that ▁giving ▁jud ges ▁authority ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁law ▁to ▁serve ▁their ▁own ▁ideas ▁regarding ▁policy ▁und erm ines ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁law . ▁This ▁t ension ▁is ▁especially ▁interesting ▁in ▁common ▁law , ▁which ▁depends ▁on ▁jud icial ▁preced ent . ▁The ▁" c laim ▁to ▁fame " ▁of ▁common ▁law ▁systems ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁developing ▁and ▁updating ▁law ▁is ▁best ▁done ▁increment ally ▁by ▁courts ▁that ▁keep ▁in ▁close ▁touch ▁with ▁social , ▁economic , ▁and ▁techn ological ▁real ities ▁than ▁by ▁political ▁org ans ▁that , ▁every ▁so ▁often , ▁will ▁attend ▁to ▁legal ▁re forms .