Boaventura de Sousa Santos is a distinguished sociologist and legal scholar whose work critically examines the intricate dynamics of globalization, the sociology of law, and the state. His research delves into the complex interplay between global forces and local realities, often employing an epistemological framework that challenges conventional understandings. He further explores the evolution of social movements and their vital role in shaping contemporary conceptions of democracy and human rights. Santos's approach is characterized by a commitment to bridging academic inquiry with social activism, seeking innovative pathways toward achieving social justice.
Exploring the historical experience of the Global South, Boaventura de Sousa Santos argues that state law excludes populations and peoples by deeming them invisible, irrelevant, or dangerous. Demonstrating the suffering caused by capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy, he pursues real legal utopias by proposing realistic yet hopeful alternatives.
Boaventura de Sousa Santos further develops his concept of the epistemologies of the South, in which he outlines a theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical framework for challenging the dominance of Eurocentric thought while showing how an embrace of the forms of knowledge of marginalized groups can lead to global justice.
Cognitive injustice is a central theme, highlighting the neglect of diverse knowledge systems that shape people's lives worldwide. Boaventura de Sousa Santos argues that achieving global social justice necessitates recognizing and valuing the epistemological diversity, particularly from the global South, which has been marginalized by Western dominance. The book advocates for a bottom-up cosmopolitanism rooted in conviviality and solidarity, countering the prevailing market-driven individualism and promoting a more inclusive understanding of knowledge and existence.
Explores the struggles against moral and cultural imperialism and neoliberal globalization, and the alternatives that have emerged in countries throughout the developing world from Brazil and Colombia, to India, South Africa and Mozambique.