Institutional Capture and Self-Interest

Sor Juana's silencers were not abstract malice; they were institutional actors defending their power and worldview. Institutional capture occurs when leaders prioritize loyalty, status, and resource-control over institutional mission. A university administration silencing a researcher to appease a donor; clergy suppressing inconvenient truths to maintain authority—these are corruption patterns rooted in self-interest that Sor Juana directly confronted. Fighting this requires transparency in decision-making, term limits to reduce entrenchment, diverse governance, external oversight, and explicit missions that supersede individual advancement. It also requires psychological awareness: those captured rarely experience themselves as corrupt; they rationalize that their self-interest serves the institution. Sor Juana's intellectual honesty provides a counterweight—a commitment to truth that transcends institutional politics and personal gain.