Self-Respect as a Primary Good

Rawls argues that self-respect—the conviction that one's life plan is worthy and one's talents valuable—is essential to justice and must be distributed fairly. Sor Juana's life reveals the injustice of systems that systematically undermine the self-respect of entire groups. She was told that her intellectual ambitions were unwomanly, that her questions were impertinent, that her learning should be hidden. Such messaging doesn't merely inconvenience; it attacks the foundation of self-respect. Sor Juana's letters and writings are acts of self-respect reclamation—she insisted on her own intellectual dignity despite institutional denial. Her tradition teaches that just societies must actively support the self-respect of those whom existing power structures devalue. This means more than non-discrimination; it requires affirming the dignity and capacity of marginalized groups, creating spaces where their contributions are recognized, and challenging narratives that undermine their self-regard. For contemporary practitioners, this means asking: whose self-respect is being systematically damaged by our institutions? What would it take to repair it and create conditions where all people can regard their own lives as worthy and their talents as valuable?