Justice as Alignment of Knowledge and Power

Sor Juana's insistence on the right to know, to study, and to speak from knowledge reveals that justice requires alignment: knowledge-keepers (scholars, experts, investigators) must have influence over decisions, and decision-makers must be constrained by expertise and evidence. Corruption often involves the separation of knowledge from power—officials make decisions against expert advice, experts are ignored or pressured to provide convenient answers, and true knowledge is kept from decision-makers. This concept proposes structural reforms: requiring evidence-based policymaking, protecting expert independence, creating mechanisms for experts to influence decisions, and preventing political interference with investigations. It also means educating decision-makers and ensuring they understand the knowledge they need to govern justly. Sor Juana argued that women should have access to knowledge precisely so they could exercise judgment and justice in their spheres. Modern anti-corruption work must ensure that power is informed by knowledge and that knowledge-keepers have real voice in decisions.