Justice Through Articulation and Voice

Sor Juana used poetry, letters, and philosophical argument to articulate what institutional power wanted to remain unnamed: the injustice of restriction, the contradiction between stated values and actual practices, the humanity of those deemed inferior. Corruption is sustained partly through silence—the inability or fear of naming what is wrong. When individuals lack the language, platform, or courage to articulate injustice, corruption continues unchecked. Sor Juana's legacy demonstrates that fighting corruption requires creating space for those affected by it to speak, and for those in power to listen. Articulation itself becomes political: naming corruption, describing its mechanisms, giving voice to victims and witnesses. In organizations and societies, anticorruption efforts strengthen when they create mechanisms for grievance, testimony, and public discourse. The right to speak and the obligation to listen are both essential anticorruption practices.