The idea that access to texts, ideas, and intellectual traditions should be collectively maintained as a shared resource, not monopolized by institutions.
Sor Juana amassed an extraordinary personal library—thousands of volumes on theology, science, history, and literature—which she guarded fiercely as her means of intellectual independence. Yet she also believed in sharing knowledge, copying texts, and making ideas accessible to other seekers. This tension reflects a libertarian principle: cultural inheritance and intellectual tradition exist as a commons that no single authority should monopolize. The Church's control of theological texts, state censorship of scientific works, and patriarchal gatekeeping of education all represent unjust appropriation of collective human knowledge. Sor Juana's tradition suggests that while individuals own their specific creations, the broader cultural commons—literature, philosophy, scientific discovery—must remain accessible. This concept opposes both institutional monopolies on knowledge and infinite IP protection, arguing instead for robust public access to humanity's intellectual heritage while protecting individual creators' rights.
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