Bianchi, Andrea --- "Epistemic communities" [2019] ELECD 203; in d’Aspremont, Jean; Singh, Sahib (eds), "Concepts for International Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 251

Book Title: Concepts for International Law

Editor(s): d’Aspremont, Jean; Singh, Sahib

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781783474677

Section: Chapter 17

Section Title: Epistemic communities

Author(s): Bianchi, Andrea

Number of pages: 16

Abstract/Description:

‘Epistemic communities’ is a term occasionally used in international legal scholarship to describe fairly heterogeneous social groups that perform functions related to the formation of knowledge in the field of international law. This chapter argues that the ensemble of actors involved in the dynamic processes whereby our knowledge of international law – that is, the understanding of what international law is and how it works – is formed and shaped can be qualified as an ‘epistemic community’. The way in which international law is thought of and practised pretty much makes the epistemic communities that shape our knowledge of international law at the theoretical and practical level. Epistemic communities are also in charge of the social identity of the discipline and the profession. They discharge important communal functions insofar as they represent shared beliefs and interests. By putting forward a common vision of the world, epistemic communities shape the perception of social agents and determine the fundamental tenets of the discourse.