Sor Juana Analysis

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A Critical Analysis of the Epistemological Projects of
René Descartes and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz In the examination of Descartes and Sor Juana’s epistemological projects, it is evident that the two possesses distinctive pictures of the nature of knowledge. In opposition with one another, Descartes epistemological project culminated in his firmly held belief that he has succeeded in grasping certainty in human knowledge; while Sor Juana, despite multiple efforts to attain absolute knowledge, has conceded that she cannot do so, as the intelligibility of her own intellect is limited and bounded. In this paper, we shall engage in a critical analysis of the epistemological projects of both Descartes and Sor Juana.
The picture of Descartes’ …show more content…
Unlike Descartes picture of knowledge as a tree of separate disciplines of knowledge, Sor Juana’s picture of knowledge is like that of an interconnected web—in which knowledge is painted as a collective enterprise. In “First Dream,” Sor Juana paints a picture of knowledge metaphorically as an embryo. An embryo is partially formed—small in its early stages of development in the womb. Knowledge—akin to the embryo—starts small, and it is subsequently built upon, requiring love, nurture, and care. If we want to gain knowledge, we must invest our time and energy into it. Sor Juana’s epistemological project is best described in her poem “First Dream,” in which her soul makes several attempts to gain knowledge, only to be met with …show more content…
She believes there is an intimate connection between the mind and the body. In fact, this very connection is the reason for her initial failed attempt at grasping the whole of creation by one single act of intuition. Sor Juana acknowledges that the body and the soul are different, but they are not altogether separate substances. The structures of the soul can somewhat mirror the structures of the body. The soul’s quest for knowledge is therefore going to be impacted by this mirroring of structures. If the body has limitations that are imposed by its constitutional structures, then the mind also suffers from limitations in obtaining

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