Epistemic Sovereignty and Knowledge Rights

Sor Juana claimed epistemic sovereignty—the right to pursue knowledge on her own terms, through her own methods, and according to her own conscience. She resisted the Inquisition's attempts to control what she could read, think, and express. In libertarian justice, epistemic sovereignty means individuals own their epistemic processes; no authority can dictate your sources, methods, or conclusions. This extends to privacy of thought and the right to remain ignorant if you choose. Sor Juana's library, her correspondence, her private studies—these were expressions of her right to own her intellectual development. When governments or institutions monopolize education, censor information, or mandate approved ways of knowing, they violate epistemic sovereignty as surely as theft violates property rights. This concept grounds libertarian justice in the recognition that the mind's independence is a form of property requiring protection from coercion, surveillance, and control.