Education as Economic Enfranchisement

Sor Juana's relentless pursuit of learning despite barriers—entering a convent partly to access the library—demonstrates that education is not merely intellectual enrichment but economic power. Without knowledge, one cannot negotiate contracts, understand law, manage property, or claim full participation in civil society. She explicitly connected her studied ability to read, write, and think with her capacity to be taken seriously as an intellectual agent. For libertarian justice, education represents the foundation of economic freedom: uneducated populations cannot effectively claim or defend property rights, negotiate fairly, or resist exploitation. Sor Juana's life proves that denying education to groups—particularly women—is an act of economic disenfranchisement. Applied today, this framework prioritizes universal literacy, skill development, and access to knowledge as prerequisites for genuine economic liberty and property autonomy.