Formalism is a term that describes an emphasis on form over content or meaning in the arts, literature, or philosophy). It is a school of thought in law and jurisprudence that assumes that the law is a system of rules that can determine the outcome of any case, without considering the context of the case). Formalism can be applied to different fields, and its meaning varies depending on the context. Here are some examples of how formalism is used in different fields:

• Arts and Literature: Formalism in the arts and literature refers to the style of criticism that focuses on artistic or literary techniques in themselves, in separation from the works social and historical context. A formalist critic would focus exclusively on the qualities of color, brushwork, form, line, and composition in painting, for example. In literary criticism, formalists see the literary work as an object in its own right, and they tend to devote their attention to its intrinsic nature, concentrating their analyses on the interplay and relationships between the text’s essential verbal elements.

• Philosophy: In the philosophy of mathematics, formalism takes mathematics as having a content, as being a kind of syntactic theory. Formalists wish to divest themselves of any commitment to domains that seem hard to fit into a thoroughly naturalistic conception of reality.

• Law and Jurisprudence: Formalism is a school of thought in law and jurisprudence that assumes that the law is a system of rules that can determine the outcome of any case, without considering the context of the case). Formalists see the law as a system of rules that can be applied mechanically, without considering the social, economic, or political context of the case).

In general, formalism emphasizes the importance of the form of a work of art, literature, or philosophy, rather than its content or context. Formalists seek to be objective in their analysis, focusing on the work itself and eschewing external considerations.