The Right to Question: Epistemological Rebellion

Sor Juana's intellectual work was fundamentally an act of questioning—she interrogated theology, philosophy, natural science, and the assumptions of her society. The concept of epistemological rebellion names how the right to question itself is a gendered privilege. In cisgender formations, men are encouraged to question and theorize; women are often expected to accept established answers. Asking questions about injustice, authority, and received wisdom has been historically dangerous for women, coded as insubordination or unfeminine aggression. Sor Juana's commitment to inquiry despite institutional pressure to recant demonstrates that claiming the right to question is an act of identity formation in resistance. For contemporary examination of cisgender identity, this concept highlights how women often inhibit their own questioning: self-censoring intellectual curiosity, adopting provisional language ("I'm probably wrong, but..."), or abandoning lines of inquiry when challenged. Men, conversely, often question without this self-interruption, granted the epistemic authority to explore ideas. This concept invites examination of how cisgender identity is maintained through differential encouragement of inquiry and how resistance begins when we claim unrestricted right to question.