The Authority of Self-Directed Study

Sor Juana's assertion of intellectual authority despite her lack of formal training or institutional position establishes a libertarian epistemology: the right to think for oneself is not granted by authorities but is inherent to rational agency. She claims the authority to interpret texts, challenge theological doctrine, and publish her conclusions because she has undertaken the labor of study. This concept rejects the institutional monopoly on knowledge-production, asserting that rigorous individual inquiry generates legitimate claims to authority. In the context of property and freedom, epistemic authority becomes a property right: individuals own the conclusions they derive from their own intellectual work. Sor Juana's example illuminates how libertarian justice must protect the individual's right to think, conclude, and speak about what they have studied—without requiring institutional permission or validation. Her work demonstrates that self-directed study is not inferior to credentialed expertise but is often more honest and independent.