Consumption as a Form of Power

Sor Juana used her pen and intellect as tools of power in a world that denied women authority. She understood that intellectual courage could shift paradigms. Similarly, ethical consumption recognizes that ordinary people wield genuine economic power. Every purchase is a negotiation with the world—we determine what gets produced, who profits, and what practices continue. Corporations respond to consumer pressure because consumer choice directly affects their bottom line. In Sor Juana's tradition, this is empowerment through responsibility. We are not passive victims of capitalism but active participants shaping it through our choices. This reframes ethical consumption from sacrifice to agency. We are not giving up luxuries; we are exercising authority. We are saying: I will not fund this practice. I will support this alternative. This power requires knowledge, courage, and sustained attention—exactly the intellectual virtues Sor Juana championed.