The fairness framework that distinguishes between genuine authority (based on reason and justice) and mere power (coercive force), permitting resistance to the latter while respecting the former.
Sor Juana navigated colonial Mexico by appearing to comply with Church authority while continuing her intellectual work—a strategy of conditional obedience. Fairness requires recognizing that not all authority is legitimate. True authority derives from reason, justice, and consent; mere power derives from force and hierarchy. This distinction is crucial: fairness doesn't demand blind obedience to any command, only to authority that operates justly. Sor Juana's approach suggests that when institutions exceed their legitimate authority (as the Church did in silencing scholarship), individuals have not merely a right but a duty to resist. This isn't anarchic—it's precisely the opposite. By distinguishing genuine authority from tyranny, we strengthen institutions themselves. Strategic compliance allows individuals to survive unjust systems while maintaining their integrity and continuing their work toward change.
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