Knowledge as Shared Inheritance, Not Punishment

Sor Juana's life was consumed by her hunger for knowledge in a system that denied it to women, Indigenous peoples, and the poor. She understood that restricting education was itself a form of harm. In restorative frameworks, this principle rejects the punitive isolation of harm-doers from learning communities. Instead, it insists that education, mentorship, and access to wisdom are tools of repair. When someone has caused harm, cutting them off from growth—through incarceration without education, or social exile—mirrors the injustices Sor Juana fought. Restoratively, harm-doers engage in structured learning about impact, history, and alternatives. Knowledge becomes the bridge to accountability rather than its denial. This aligns with Sor Juana's conviction that ignorance perpetuates injustice and that true justice requires expanding each person's capacity to understand.