Periagoge
Concept
1 min read

Justice as Recognition of Full Personhood

The principle that libertarian justice requires acknowledging each individual as a complete moral and intellectual agent, not as a partial or subordinate person.

Juana
Why It Matters

Sor Juana's entire life was a claim to full personhood: intellectual capacity, moral agency, the right to contribute to knowledge and culture. She rejected the reduction of women to passive roles or diminished legal status. For libertarian justice regarding property and freedom, this is foundational: you cannot have genuine rights if you are not recognized as a full person. Historical systems—slavery, coverture, caste—denied personhood to entire categories, thereby making their property rights and freedoms theoretical only. This concept demands that justice begin with recognition: Do all individuals enjoy equal acknowledgment as thinking, choosing, responsible agents? If not, subsequent talk of property rights and liberty remains incomplete. Sor Juana's example shows that achieving libertarian justice requires combating any system or ideology that diminishes personhood on the basis of gender, origin, or social position.

Helpful guides
Juana
Identity & Justice
Peri
Questions about Justice as Recognition of Full Personhood?

Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.

Ready to work on Justice as Recognition of Full Personhood?

Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.