The Paradox of Dominion and Responsibility

Sor Juana navigated paradoxes throughout her life: intellectually brilliant yet constrained by gender, writing in the tradition of her oppressors, seeking justice within unjust systems. The dominion-responsibility paradox mirrors this: humans have power over animals in our societies, but rather than this power permitting their use, it generates responsibility. Sor Juana's work on rights and justice suggests that those with power bear special obligations to protect the vulnerable. Humans' ability to harm, cage, or exploit animals demands that we exercise restraint and justice instead. This concept reframes animal husbandry, research, and consumption as moral problems precisely because humans control these domains. The paradox dissolves when we recognize that responsibility is the price of power: because we can dominate animals, we must not. Instead, we must use our capacities to protect and honor their flourishing, a stance that aligns with Sor Juana's commitment to justice for the marginalized and voiceless.