Epistemic Injustice and Animal Voicelessness

Sor Juana's experience of having her knowledge dismissed and her voice silenced because of her gender illuminates what philosophers call epistemic injustice. Animals face a profound version: their experiences, suffering, and knowledge cannot be directly articulated in human language, making them structurally voiceless in moral deliberation. Sor Juana's struggle to be heard despite her brilliance demonstrates how power structures determine whose testimony counts as valid. For animals, this injustice is compounded—we must infer their consciousness, interpret their signals, yet still marginalize their moral status. Sor Juana's writings advocate for recognizing hidden knowledge and challenging authority's monopoly on truth. Applying this to animal rights means taking seriously the evidence of animal experience and refusing to discount it merely because animals cannot speak in human terms or defend their interests through our institutions.