Intellectual Property as Self-Ownership

Sor Juana's prolific literary output—poems, plays, theological treatises—emerged from her conviction that the mind's creations belong to the creator. In libertarian justice, intellectual property reflects self-ownership: if you own yourself, you own your labor, including mental labor. Sor Juana fought for recognition that a woman's intellectual output held value and autonomy independent of male authority. This concept applies today by grounding property rights not in state decree but in the natural right of creators to their own thought. Freedom and justice demand that individuals retain control over what their minds produce, whether protected by law or defended through custom and reputation.