Thinking Outside the Bubble of the Global North: Introducing Milton Santos and “The Active Role of Geography”

Abstract

Brazilian geographer Milton Santos is one of the most quoted, celebrated, and controversial social scientists of the so‐called “global South”. His body of work employs a rich vocabulary including reinterpretations of concepts such as “totality”, as well as original concepts like “used territory”. These and other concepts have formed the basis of what could be called a “Miltonian” school of thought in geography. However, despite his national and regional importance to Brazil and the “global South” more generally, he has long been overlooked by the English‐speaking community of geographers. The present article intends to bridge this gap by offering an introduction to Santos and to the English translation of one of his most important and hotly debated texts, “The Active Role of Geography: A Manifesto”.