Humility as Epistemological Justice

Despite her brilliance, Sor Juana frequently acknowledged gaps in her knowledge and the limits of human understanding. This intellectual humility was not weakness but epistemological honesty. In justice-forgiveness work, humility serves crucial functions. Perpetrators of harm often lack epistemic humility—they believe their perspective is complete, their intentions are sufficient, their impact is less than claimed. Victims, conversely, may doubt their own perception and understanding. True justice requires epistemic humility from all parties: acknowledging what we don't know, remaining open to perspectives different from our own, and recognizing that understanding develops over time. Sor Juana's tradition teaches that intellectual rigor and humility reinforce each other. We can be confident in specific truths (injustice occurred, harm was real) while remaining humble about comprehensive understanding (full comprehension of all causes, motivations, solutions). This balance allows justice work to be grounded and clear while remaining open to the complexity and transformative potential that authentic forgiveness requires.