Periagoge
Concept
1 min read

Knowledge as Resistance

The recognition that pursuing and sharing knowledge can be a form of resistance against systems that profit from ignorance or enforced intellectual dependence.

Juana
Why It Matters

Sor Juana's insistence on studying theology, philosophy, mathematics, and literature in 17th-century New Spain constituted quiet rebellion against gender structures that confined women's minds. Her knowledge made her dangerous—not because she sought political power, but because educated women cannot be easily controlled. This concept applies to modern professionals whose expertise challenges existing power structures. The engineer who speaks truth about safety violations, the doctor who insists on evidence-based medicine against profit incentives, the scholar who publishes inconvenient findings—all exercise knowledge as resistance. Professional identity becomes radical when you recognize that your field of expertise contains truths that threaten established interests. This doesn't require activism; it requires refusing to be silenced and maintaining standards of truth-telling within your profession.

Helpful guides
Juana
Identity & Justice
Peri
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