Epistemic Harm and Intellectual Restitution

Sor Juana experienced profound epistemic harm—her intellectual contributions were dismissed, her right to study was challenged, and her credibility was attacked based on her gender and status. Epistemic harm involves denying someone's capacity to know, speak authoritatively, or contribute to knowledge. In restorative frameworks, addressing epistemic harm requires more than punishment of the perpetrator; it demands restitution of the victim's intellectual standing and voice. This means amplifying previously silenced perspectives, validating alternative ways of knowing, and creating space for marginalized people to reclaim their intellectual authority. Sor Juana's tradition insists that restoration includes public acknowledgment of intellectual contributions that were unjustly denied. Rather than merely punishing those who committed epistemic injustice, restorative approaches should actively work to restore the dignity and credibility of those harmed, ensuring their voices are heard and their knowledge valued in scholarly and public discourse.