The Right to Know and Question Authority

Sor Juana fought throughout her life for the right to learn, question, and engage with knowledge despite restrictions imposed by gender and institutional hierarchy. Corruption depends on opacity—the ability to hide decisions, allocate resources, and exercise power without scrutiny. By asserting that knowledge and questioning are rights, not privileges granted by authorities, Sor Juana identified a core anticorruption principle. Societies where citizens can freely access information, demand transparency, and challenge official narratives have stronger defenses against systemic corruption. Her insistence on the right to think and question models how intellectual freedom becomes a practical check on power. Fighting corruption requires guaranteeing that no person or institution can claim immunity from examination or accountability.