The Right to Intellectual Inheritance

Sor Juana's vast education—comprising theology, philosophy, mathematics, languages, and the classics—was largely self-directed despite institutional barriers. She embodied the principle that knowledge belongs to humanity, not to gatekeepers. The right to intellectual inheritance asserts that fairness includes democratic access to humanity's cultural and intellectual legacy. No person should be denied the works of Plato, the Bible, scientific discoveries, or artistic traditions based on gender, class, ethnicity, or geography. This concept challenges every system that restricts learning to elites. Throughout history, civilizations advanced fairness by opening libraries, establishing universities, and protecting translation and dissemination of texts. Sor Juana's fight to read, think, and write freely illustrates that intellectual inheritance is not a luxury but foundational to human dignity. Modern applications include open-access publishing, public libraries, digital education platforms, and breaking down paywalls that restrict knowledge. Fairness, in this sense, means every child inherits the full treasury of human thought and creativity.