The category of totality in the work of Milton Santos: epistemological foundations, conceptual development, and its relevance to geography today

Abstract

This article analyzes the category of totality in the work of Milton Santos, seeking to understand its theoretical framework, its epistemological foundations, and its relevance to the interpretation of contemporary geographical space. It begins with the understanding that totality constitutes one of the central categories of Critical Geography, enabling us to move beyond fragmented approaches to spatial reality and to understand the interrelationship between economy, politics, technology, culture, and territory. Methodologically, the research is based on a theoretical-conceptual literature review, centered on Milton Santos’s major works and supplemented by contributions from authors whose work engages with his. The development of the discussion shows that the category of totality does not appear in a static form throughout the author’s intellectual trajectory but can be understood at different stages of its elaboration. Finally, it is argued that the concept’s relevance today lies in its ability to interpret contemporary processes such as the financialization, digitization, and platformization of territory, reaffirming “totality” as a fundamental tool for the critical understanding of the socio-spatial contradictions of the current period.