Celso Furtado

This book reinterprets Celso Furtado as a major thinker of International Political Economy and Global International Relations, demonstrating the contemporary relevance of his work for understanding development, global inequality, and the changing world economy. Rather than treating Furtado solely as a Brazilian economist or Latin American structuralist, this book argues that his ideas offer powerful analytical tools for explaining the evolution of global capitalism and the enduring challenges faced by the Global South. Beginning with the debates on Global International Relations and Latin American structuralism, the chapters examine Furtado’s concepts of development and underdevelopment, his analysis of the international division of labour, and his reflections on technology, multinational corporations, natural resources, and environmental limits. The book concludes by outlining a Furtadian approach to International Political Economy, showing how his thought helps illuminate contemporary debates on deglobalization, hegemony, dependence, and alternative development strategies for the Global South.