Rights-Based Discourse as Decolonial Tool

Sor Juana's defense of her intellectual pursuits invoked universal principles of human dignity and the right to knowledge, even within a colonial context that denied rights to indigenous peoples and enslaved persons. Rights discourse is paradoxical in decolonization: modern rights frameworks emerged from European Enlightenment and colonialism, yet colonized peoples have strategically deployed rights language to demand liberation. This productive paradox appears throughout postcolonial struggle: indigenous peoples claim land rights using colonial legal systems; women claim equality using Enlightenment principles; colonized intellectuals assert rights to education and expression. Sor Juana's rhetorical strategy invoked universal dignity to challenge both patriarchy and colonialism, even though the rights framework itself was limited. For decolonization, rights-based discourse becomes a tactical tool—useful for mobilizing international support and constraining state power—while recognizing that true liberation may require moving beyond individual rights to relational, collective, and environmental justice frameworks.