Epistemic Justice and the Right to Be Heard

Sor Juana was silenced and her works removed from circulation not because her ideas were illogical but because her speaking as a woman violated social property norms—the presumption that authority to know and teach belonged to priests and men. Epistemic injustice is a form of property violation: it denies you ownership of your own knowledge and the right to benefit from it through teaching, publication, or influence. Libertarian justice includes the right to participate in knowledge communities as an equal, not subordinate. Your testimony, reasoning, and insights cannot be dismissed on the basis of identity rather than merit without violating your personhood. Sor Juana demanded to be heard as an intellectual equal and claimed the right to address theological and philosophical questions. Without epistemic standing, property rights become theoretical: if authorities can disregard your speech and claims, they can also disregard your property claims.