Voicelessness and Epistemic Injustice

Sor Juana fought against being silenced despite her brilliance; she understood how power structures deny certain beings the ability to speak and be heard. Animals exist in absolute voicelessness within human systems of knowledge and law. This creates what philosophers call epistemic injustice—the systematic dismissal of a being's perspective because they cannot articulate it in dominant languages. Sor Juana's legacy of claiming intellectual space despite exclusion suggests that moral consideration must include advocacy for the silenced. We cannot wait for animals to defend themselves; instead, following Sor Juana's model, intellectuals and ethicists must deliberately amplify animal interests. This means treating animal suffering as testimony worthy of credibility, even when expressed through behavior rather than words. True justice requires those with voice to champion those without it.