Knowledge as Liberatory Property

Sor Juana's insatiable hunger for books, languages, and scholarship was not merely personal ambition; it was a path to freedom. In her time, ignorance was enforced as a tool of control—women were denied education to limit their autonomy and power. By acquiring knowledge across theology, science, philosophy, and languages, Sor Juana accumulated property that no institution could fully confiscate. Knowledge became her defense against marginalization. In libertarian frameworks, this reveals that property rights depend on access to information and learning. Those denied education are denied the tools to understand their own rights, negotiate fairly, and resist exploitation. Sor Juana's example shows that libertarian justice requires not just non-interference but positive conditions for learning—libraries, time, and social permission to study. Knowledge is property because it is the foundation of autonomous choice and self-determination.