Defense Against Institutional Appropriation

Sor Juana employed strategic silence, coded language, and selective publication to protect her work from institutional appropriation by the Church. Libertarian justice requires recognizing that institutions—whether religious, state, or corporate—constantly attempt to claim ownership of individuals' productive capacity, identity, and output. Defense against appropriation means developing practices to maintain control: keeping some work private, using obscure language, building alternative networks, or withdrawing from public participation. Sor Juana's strategies were not mere survival tactics but philosophical statements about property rights. In contemporary terms, this might include data privacy, intellectual property protection, or withdrawal from exploitative labor arrangements. The concept acknowledges that freedom is not passive but requires active defense against institutions that would convert personal liberty into institutional property. Building defensive structures around one's work, identity, and time is an essential libertarian practice, not a violation of openness or social good.