Reclamation of Agency and Self-Definition

Sor Juana's refusal to accept the church's definition of appropriate female behavior, despite their authority to punish her, represents a fundamental assertion of agency. She insisted on her right to define her own intellectual and spiritual path. This principle has profound implications for animal ethics. Currently, animals are defined entirely by human purposes: food, research subjects, entertainment, products. They have no voice in these definitions and no ability to consent or refuse. A justice framework inspired by Sor Juana would recognize that beings deserve some say in determining their own lives and purposes. While animals cannot speak in human language, their behaviors—resistance, escape attempts, expressions of preference—constitute forms of self-assertion that we systematically override. True respect for animal agency would involve recognizing their preferences and resisting the impulse to use them for human purposes without their agreement. This doesn't mean animals suddenly have human rights, but rather that their own purposes, preferences, and projects deserve recognition and protection. Sor Juana's struggle for self-definition models how marginalized beings assert dignity through resistance.