The Right to Flourish According to Nature

Sor Juana's intellectual defiance was fundamentally about the right to develop one's capacities and pursue knowledge according to one's nature and gifts. This concept extends that principle to animals: moral consideration requires allowing creatures to express their essential characteristics and capabilities. A bird confined in a cage is denied its nature as a flyer; a herd animal isolated is denied social fulfillment. Just as Sor Juana argued that preventing women from learning violates something fundamental, preventing animals from expressing natural behaviors violates their intrinsic good. This differs from simple welfare—it's not merely about reducing suffering but actively enabling flourishing. Applied practically, it means evaluating human systems through whether they permit animals to forage, move, socialize, and engage in instinctive behaviors. This concept honors diversity; flourishing looks different for a wolf than for a whale. Sor Juana's legacy of insisting on the right to self-development becomes a principle ensuring animals are not merely tolerated but enabled to thrive according to their distinct natures.