Elisabeth of the Palatinate

Elisabeth Simmern van Pallandt was born on December 26, 1618, in Heidelberg. She was the third of thirteen children and eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England and sister of Charles I. Elisabeth stayed with her grandmother Louise Juliana of Nassau in Heidelberg before moving to the Netherlands at the age of nine. Edward Reynolds dedicated his Treatise on the passions and the faculties of the soule of man (1640) to Elisabeth. In 1646, Elisabeth's brother Philip killed a man in a duel. Although the previous abbess (Elisabeth's cousin) had also been a Calvinist, this difference in faith created some initial distrust. While Elisabeth was abbess, the convent became a refuge from religious persecution for people and she welcomed more marginal religious sects, including the Labadists. When Robert Barclay's father David was imprisoned, Elisabeth intervened and helped to get him released. Elisabeth died on February 12, 1680. She was buried in the Abbey Church of Herford. == Correspondence ==

Throughout her adult years, Elisabeth corresponded with many renowned intellectuals of her time. By 1639, Elisabeth was corresponding with Anna Maria van Schurman, a learned woman, called the Dutch Minerva. In an early letter van Schurman offered Elisabeth guidance on what subjects to study, arguing for the usefulness of history. Elisabeth also corresponded with a number of prominent Quakers, including Robert Barclay and William Penn. There are letters written both by and to her concerning political and financial matters in the English Calendar of State Papers. == Family ==

Siblings • Henry Frederick, Hereditary Prince of the Palatinate (1614–1629); drowned • Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine (1617–1680); married Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel, had issue including Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, Duchess of Orleans; Marie Luise von Degenfeld, had issue; Elisabeth Hollander von Bernau, had issue • Elisabeth of the Palatinate (1618–1680), the subject of this article, was the third child. • Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine (1619–1682); had two illegitimate children • Maurice of the Palatinate (1620–1652) • Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate (18 April 1622 – 11 February 1709) • Louis (21 August 1624 – 24 December 1624) • Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern (1625–1663); married Anna Gonzaga, had issue • Henriette Marie of the Palatinate (7 July 1626 – 18 September 1651); married Sigismund Rákóczi, brother of the Prince of Transylvania, on 16 June 1651 • John Philip Frederick of the Palatinate Frederick (26 September 1627 – 16 February 1650); also reported to have been born on 15 September 1629 • Charlotte of the Palatinate (19 December 1628 – 14 January 1631) • Sophia, Electress of Hanover (14 October 1630 – 8 June 1714); married Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, had issue, including King George I of Great Britain. Many other royal families are Sophia's descendants. Sophia came close to ascending to the British throne, but died two months before Queen Anne. • Gustavus Adolphus of the Palatinate (14 January 1632 – 1641) == Contributions to philosophy: Descartes and other prominent figures ==

Elisabeth met Descartes on one of his visits to The Hague. Descartes visited The Hague to meet some of the leading intellectual figures in the Netherlands who might support his philosophy. The Hague was often a gathering place to meet other influential, powerful people. As Descartes talked of his ideas, Elisabeth intently listened and became very interested in Descartes' thoughts of the mind and body. After his visit, it was told to him that Elisabeth had been very interested in his work. Descartes was flattered and told others that he would like to get to know the princess better. Descartes made another visit to The Hague, and was intent on having a conversation with Elisabeth, although this conversation for some reason did not happen. Elisabeth, upon hearing of Descartes' failed attempt to converse with her, wrote to Descartes a letter. In this letter, dated May 16, 1643, Elisabeth writes, "tell me please how the soul of a human being (it being only a thinking substance) can determine the bodily spirits and so bring about voluntary actions". Elisabeth is questioning Descartes' idea of dualism and how the soul and the body could interact. Elisabeth questioned how something immaterial (Descartes' idea of the mind) could move something material (the body). She proposes three ways something can be "moved": through self-propulsion, external propulsion, or movement determined by the properties of something pushing it. The first and second options require physical contact, while the third option requires extension. If the mind is not part of the physical world, then it cannot make physical contact with anything, meaning the mind cannot interact with the body. By Descartes' own view, physical interaction is only possible through extension, but as Descartes thinks the mind lacks this property, it makes interaction impossible, ruling out the third option as well. In another letter from Elisabeth to Descartes dated July 1, 1643, Elisabeth agrees with Descartes that our senses are evidence that the soul does move the body and the body moves the soul, but that this interaction does not teach us anything about how this happens. This specific correspondence between Elisabeth and Descartes is often ignored by many historians, as they see it as insignificant, but a few regard it as influential in that Descartes and Elisabeth seem to be talking of the "passions of the soul", as Descartes referred to them. Some historians have remarked that Elisabeth could have been a philosopher in her own right if it had not been for a lack of a systematic presentation of her philosophical position. == Contributions to the feminist history of philosophy ==

Elisabeth of Bohemia has been a key subject in the feminist history of philosophy. She has garnered attention as a prominent female thinker and for her practical role in the development of 17th century female scholars. Feminist scholars study her correspondences and life to understand the limitations placed on 17th century female thinkers. Some scholars cite Elisabeth as an example of how philosophical conceptions of women as philosophers excluded them from the philosophical canon. For feminist scholars, her correspondence with Descartes presents an example of the value of including women in the canon. Some argue that Elisabeth's correspondence with Descartes helps feminist scholars re-conceptualize how women are to be included in the philosophical canon. Feminist scholars are concerned with how Elisabeth's gender informed her philosophy. Many believe that Elisabeth was keenly aware of the limitations of her sex. One scholar states that Elisabeth's health and femininity informed her interest about the immaterial soul's influence on the material body. Elisabeth's influence also extends to the development of other 17th century female thinkers. She utilized her exile court in The Hague to create a network of female scholars. Her network was a space where women could engage in philosophical inquiry through correspondence. Including Elisabeth, the network consisted of Anna Maria van Schurman, Marie de Gournay, and Lady Ranelagh. ==References==