Justice Without Redistribution: Merit, Recognition, and Fair Exchange

Sor Juana received some recognition and patronage, but never the institutional status or compensation her genius deserved—not because of natural inability but because gatekeepers denied her the stage. Libertarian justice cannot guarantee equal outcomes or force institutions to recognize merit equally. It can, however, ensure that barriers to recognition are removed and that exchanges are voluntary. If a woman's work is excluded from publication, the market is distorted. If gender prevents someone from accessing education, property rights are violated. Libertarian approaches oppose both enforced equality (quotas, reparations) and entrenched monopoly. Instead, they advocate opening access, removing barriers, and allowing voluntary association and exchange to reward merit. Sor Juana's work survives and gains recognition today not through imposed redistribution but through voluntary scholarly interest. This concept argues for removing coercive barriers while refusing to mandate outcomes—trusting that genuine value, once freely accessible, will find its market. It's a different framework for thinking about justice in unequal contexts.