Intellectual Property as Self-Ownership

Sor Juana's prolific literary output—poetry, plays, theological essays—emerged from her fierce assertion that her mind belonged to herself alone. She resisted institutional control over her intellectual labor, claiming the right to think, publish, and interpret scripture independently. In libertarian justice, intellectual property flows from self-ownership: just as you own your body and labor, you own the fruits of your cognitive effort. Sor Juana's defense of her right to study, write, and disseminate ideas without ecclesiastical censorship established a principle: freedom of thought is foundational to property rights in a just society. Her legacy illuminates how suppressing intellectual freedom is a form of theft—appropriating someone's mental labor and creative output.