Epistemic Justice and Property Rights

The institutions that silenced Sor Juana did so partly by dismissing women's intellectual contributions as inherently inferior. This is epistemic injustice: denying someone's capacity for knowledge and truth-telling. In libertarian justice, epistemic injustice directly undermines property rights and freedom. If your testimony is categorically disbelieved, you cannot defend your property claims in court. If your expertise is dismissed, you cannot negotiate fair contracts. If your knowledge is deemed inferior because of your identity, you cannot participate in decision-making about collective resources. Sor Juana's philosophy demands epistemic justice: recognition that women, colonized peoples, and marginalized groups produce valid knowledge. Libertarian justice cannot function without it. True freedom requires that all participants have their knowledge and testimony taken seriously. This concept reframes epistemic respect as foundational to property rights and freedom—not separate concerns but deeply entangled. A just system honors knowers from all backgrounds.