Knowledge as Unalienable Property

Sor Juana's insistence on her right to learn—her famous declaration that she would pursue knowledge 'even if heaven forbade it'—treats understanding itself as an inalienable possession. Knowledge, once internalized, becomes part of the self and cannot be stolen or confiscated without violating personal integrity. In Libertarian justice, this concept protects individuals from enforced ignorance, censorship, and institutional monopolies on information. It establishes that access to learning is a prerequisite for freedom, and that limiting knowledge is a form of property theft from the mind. Sor Juana's example demonstrates that societies built on justice must guarantee freedom of inquiry, access to education, and protection against those who would control what people are permitted to know or think.