This paper explores at a theoretical level challenges and conflicts relating to the argument that the research field of ESE, despite its advantage of being a multidisciplinary and multicultural field of research, like other fields of research runs a risk of self-repetition regarding problems, methods, theory and form (Van Poeck & Lysgaard, 2015). The paper presents a philosophical analysis of a Manifesto developed by the REAL Research Collective (RRC). The RRC was founded in 2014 at ECER in Porto, Portugal for the purpose of exploring and engaging with the Real in its material, symbolic, phenomenological, discursive, magic, religious, embodied , etc., presence in the world. The RRC Manifesto, which has drawn significant attention in the field of EE and ESE research, represents and deals with the premises for being an ESE researcher and how we, as the contemporary embodiment of this field rise to a fixed number of challenges. Such challenges include among others: Always do your best to put yourself out there and to be constructive; Avoid previous research; Avoid generalizations; Be promiscuous; Be unethical; Be moral; and Avoid Manifestos. The purpose of this paper is, on the basis of key scholarly work (Baumann 1995, Laclau 1990, Brassier 2007, Meillassoux 2009), to philosophically explore, clarify and critically analyze the meaning of the Manifesto focusing on the role of the researcher, politics, ethics, contingency and the Real. By reflecting on the stated challenges we argue for the importance of acknowledging the differences between, and simultaneous presence of, what we will refer to as being a clean, an unclean and a bastard researcher (Rømer et. al., 2011). In the context of points of departure in contemporary ESE/ESD research, we aim to explore what it means to approach the REAL in an ESD/ESE research context as well potential consequences of such an approximation.

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