Identity as a Source of Knowledge

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz inhabited multiple identities—woman, Indigenous heritage, nun, intellectual, colonized subject—and understood that each position offered distinct knowledge inaccessible to those outside it. Fairness, from this perspective, means valuing what people know from their particular circumstances rather than demanding they adopt a false universal viewpoint. This concept rejects the notion that only those in power positions hold truth. Every civilization that has lasted has eventually recognized that wisdom comes from many sources and standpoints. By elevating Sor Juana's voice, we acknowledge that a woman in colonial Mexico had insights about justice, power, and human nature that no European man in his study could possess. Fair systems actively seek knowledge from all positions and perspectives, understanding that exclusion impoverishes everyone's understanding of truth.