Knowledge as Liberating Property

Sor Juana's relentless pursuit of learning—from mathematics to theology to languages—was her pathway to independence within an oppressive system. Knowledge gave her authority to speak, write, and resist false doctrines imposed on her. In libertarian justice, knowledge functions as property that liberates: those who control learning control power over others. When institutions monopolize education or withhold information from certain groups (women, colonized peoples, the poor), they create dependency and deny freedom. Sor Juana's legacy shows that true property rights require educational access—you cannot own yourself or claim your labor if you lack the knowledge to understand your condition and options. Applied to modern contexts, this concept opposes educational monopolies, mandatory curricula that erase alternative perspectives, and knowledge gatekeeping that perpetuates subordination. Libertarian justice demands universal access to learning as foundational property.