Intellectual Property as Self-Ownership

Sor Juana's prolific literary output—despite institutional constraints—demonstrates that intellectual work represents an extension of personal liberty and property rights. Her fierce defense of her right to study, write, and publish established intellectual property as inseparable from human dignity and autonomy. Within libertarian justice, this concept asserts that the fruits of mental labor belong to the creator as surely as material goods belong to their maker. Sor Juana's example shows how denying intellectual property rights is a form of servitude, particularly for those—like women—systematically excluded from property ownership. Recognizing intellectual property protects freedom of thought and ensures that individuals retain sovereignty over their most precious creations, establishing a foundation for economic and personal liberty.