Consumption as Complicity or Resistance

Sor Juana understood that silence and inaction implicate us in injustice. Her writings defended the oppressed and questioned authority, refusing passive complicity. Applied to consumption, this means recognizing that our choices fund either justice or exploitation. Buying from companies that exploit workers, destroy ecosystems, or profit from inequality is a form of complicity—regardless of intent. Conversely, seeking out ethical alternatives, supporting worker-owned enterprises, and demanding accountability are acts of resistance. Ethical consumption is not morally neutral; it is a form of political participation. Sor Juana's intellectual courage challenges us to examine how our purchasing power either perpetuates systems of injustice or contributes to their transformation.