Intellectual Property as Self-Ownership

Sor Juana's prolific writings—from poetry to theological essays—were acts of intellectual self-assertion in a society that denied women property rights and educational authority. She argued implicitly that one's mind and its productions belong to oneself alone, not to church, state, or family. This concept frames intellectual property not as artificial monopoly but as natural extension of self-ownership: just as no one else owns your body, no one else owns your thoughts or their expression. For libertarian justice, this means recognizing creative work as legitimate property earned through labor of mind, protecting writers and thinkers from appropriation by powerful institutions. Sor Juana's refusal to surrender her manuscripts or stop writing despite pressure exemplifies the practice of defending intellectual freedom as foundational to human dignity and economic liberty.