A Realist Epistemic Utopia? Epistemic Practices in a Climate Camp

In social contexts in which agents stand under practical constraints (having to get things done, finishing things on time, etc.), democratic deliberation is often rejected as a mechanism of social coordination. It is considered too slow and inefficient; in its place, hierarchical relations, often based on differential forms of expertise, are seen as necessary to achieve efficient outcome. In this paper, we challenge these assumptions by analyzing the epistemic practices in a climate camp. Based on qualitative interviews and field observations from a 2019 camp in Germany, we analyze how the participants overcame the tensions between democratic equality and hierarchies based on expertise, and between the time needed for deliberation and the imperative to get things done, not least to maintain the infrastructure of the camp. We analyze epistemic practices such as an experimentalist attitude, the avoidance of specialization, and epistemic humility, and the shift from a narrow to a broad understanding of efficiency. We then discuss to what extent the lessons learned from this case might be generalized, and conclude by calling for more research about “realist epistemic utopias.” We will finally explore how practical innovations in the Climate Camp represent a source of inspiration for new forms of environmental participation at the local and global level which combine strong democratic ideals with the concern with environmental issues.