The Right to Consume Consciously

Sor Juana fought for women's right to intellectual autonomy and self-determination against systems designed to limit her knowledge and choices. Ethical consumption emerges from this same principle: every person deserves the information and agency to make consumption decisions aligned with their values. This is not a luxury for the privileged but a basic right. When corporations hide labor practices or mislead about sustainability, they deny consumers the autonomy Sor Juana championed. Ethical consumption frameworks must protect this right—ensuring transparency, accessibility of information, and genuine choice. Just as she insisted on her right to study and think freely, we must insist on our right to know what we consume and why, reclaiming consumption as an act of deliberate choice rather than coerced conformity.