Justice Through Epistemic Authority

Sor Juana's exclusion from intellectual spaces despite her genius reveals how corruption operates through controlling who is believed and whose knowledge counts. Epistemic authority—the power to define what counts as truth—is a form of power that corrupt systems weaponize ruthlessly. By limiting whose voices are heard, whose education is valued, and whose expertise is trusted, institutions protect themselves from accountability. Fighting corruption requires democratizing epistemic authority: ensuring diverse voices contribute to truth-telling, that marginalized communities' knowledge of injustice is validated, and that institutional monopolies on legitimacy are challenged. Sor Juana's writings themselves become acts of epistemic rebellion, asserting her right to interpret scripture, theology, and natural philosophy. This concept suggests that anti-corruption movements must actively center previously silenced perspectives and redistribute the authority to define problems and solutions.