Intellectual Property as Self-Ownership

Sor Juana's defense of her right to study, write, and publish her work exemplifies intellectual property as rooted in self-ownership rather than state grant. Her famous letter defending women's education articulates that the mind, like the body, belongs to the individual. In libertarian justice, this principle establishes that creative output—ideas, texts, innovations—cannot be rightfully confiscated or controlled by authorities without consent. Sor Juana's lived struggle against ecclesiastical censorship demonstrates how intellectual freedom depends on recognizing that one's thoughts are one's own property. This framework protects both the freedom to think and the right to benefit from one's mental labor, making intellectual property a natural right derived from self-ownership rather than a privilege granted by institutions.