Whether a society has a higher tribunal is a first-rank structural trait

Evidence

In the most general terms, we have to do here with the concept of “higher tribunal/’ 4 In varying forms, its operation extends through almost all of human collective life. The question whether or not a given society has a “higher tribunal” concerns a formal sociological characteristic of first-rank importance. — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 5180

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines Simmel’s ‘higher tribunal’ — a shared superordinate power that dissolves dyadic conflict. This is precisely the concept the reader maps onto Porfiry as Raskolnikov’s ‘institutional auditor.’
• XREF: Connects directly to Shapiro’s ‘guardian’ concept and to the reading purpose: Raskolnikov needs a third party (higher tribunal) to break his dyadic relation with guilt. Also resonates with Simmel’s triad.