Questions as Acts of Justice

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was known for her capacity to ask probing questions about theology, authority, and knowledge itself—questions that challenged the constraints placed on women and the marginalized. In recovery from addiction, the ability to ask critical questions becomes an act of personal justice. This means examining not just the addiction itself but the narratives, relationships, and institutional failures that contributed to its development. Why did I turn to this substance? What beliefs about my worth made addiction seem acceptable? What systems—family, economic, social—left me vulnerable? By adopting Sor Juana's philosophical stance of questioning authority and convention, those in recovery can move beyond shame-based narratives toward understanding. Critical inquiry honors the complexity of addiction's origins while reclaiming the right to question dominant stories about identity, healing, and worthiness. This practice of questioning becomes both a cognitive tool and a moral stance: the refusal to accept easy answers is itself a claim to dignity.