Epistemic Justice and Knowing Yourself

Epistemic justice—the right to be heard and believed as a knower—was denied to Sor Juana as a woman, as it is denied to many leaving faith who are told their doubts are demonic or their experiences misinterpreted. This concept addresses how faith systems often invalidate personal experience, insisting that institutional doctrine supersedes individual knowledge. Reconstructing identity requires reclaiming epistemic authority: trusting that your experience is real, your observations valid, your interpretations legitimate. When a faith system told you contradictory things while insisting you misunderstood, it committed epistemic injustice. Recovery involves rebuilding confidence in your own knowing—your ability to observe reality, interpret your experiences, and trust your emerging understanding of truth. This framework transforms doubt from spiritual weakness into intellectual integrity.