Consent as Revocable and Conditional

Sor Juana's complex relationship with religious and familial authority—initial obedience followed by intellectual resistance and eventual withdrawal—demonstrates consent as a living, revisable act rather than a binding contract. Libertarian justice rejects the idea that initial consent to a relationship, institution, or rule is irrevocable. Consent must be continuously renewed; if conditions become unjust or coercive, the original agreement becomes void. Sor Juana's life shows how women were forced to consent to patriarchal structures without genuine choice or information—a consent obtained under duress is not consent. This concept insists that libertarian frameworks must account for power imbalances that corrupt the appearance of agreement. Applied practically, it means institutions cannot claim legitimacy based on historical consent; they must continuously justify themselves and respect withdrawal of participation.