The Right to One's Own Nature

Sor Juana resisted the constraints imposed on women's nature by patriarchal society, asserting the right to pursue knowledge and autonomy. This framework extends powerfully to animal ethics: each species has a nature—patterns of behavior, social needs, environmental requirements—that represents its authentic expression. Captivity, forced breeding, and industrial agriculture violate this fundamental right by preventing animals from being what they are. A elephant confined to concrete, a wild bird caged, a pig unable to root or socialize—these represent violations not merely of comfort but of ontological justice. Sor Juana's intellectual courage in claiming her own nature as a woman mirrors the moral imperative to let animals live according to theirs. Recognizing this right means rethinking agriculture, zoos, and research—asking whether our use serves animal flourishing or only human convenience.