Epistemic Justice and Corruption

Sor Juana faced epistemic injustice—her intellectual contributions were devalued because she was a woman, a nun, and from the colonial margins. Corruption thrives on epistemic injustice: when certain groups are systematically treated as unreliable witnesses, their testimony about misconduct is ignored. Fighting corruption requires actively examining whose knowledge counts, who gets heard, and which communities are structurally dismissed as unreliable informants. This means prioritizing accounts from marginalized communities, women, and lower-level workers who often possess crucial evidence of corruption but lack institutional credibility. Sor Juana's insistence on her intellectual legitimacy models how marginalized people must claim authority over their own observations and knowledge. Anti-corruption movements must dismantle the epistemic hierarchies that allow powerful people to discredit accusers and protect wrongdoers. Creating systems where diverse voices are genuinely trusted and centered strengthens both justice and truth-telling.