The Right to Know What We Consume

Sor Juana's relentless pursuit of knowledge and her defense of women's intellectual rights illuminate a vital principle for ethical consumption: we cannot make just choices without full information. Ethical consumption requires transparency—knowing where products come from, who made them, under what conditions, and what values they represent. Sor Juana challenged the systems that kept knowledge from people; similarly, ethical consumers must demand that corporations and brands reveal their supply chains, labor practices, and environmental impact. This concept transforms shopping from passive consumption into informed decision-making. When we claim the right to know, we reclaim agency and dignity in our choices, honoring both our own intellectual capacity and the dignity of those whose labor creates the goods we use.