Elisabeth von der Pfalz or Elisabeth of Bohemia or Princess Palatine (1617 or 1618-1680), Protestant Abbess of Herford, was the eldest daughter of Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart, who were briefly elected King and Queen of Bohemia. She is well-known for having established a philosophical correspondence with René Descartes that lasted for seven years until his death in 1650. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Elisabeth (or Elizabeth) of Bohemia may refer to any of the following: Elisabeth of Poznan, of Poland, second wife of Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, daughter of Przemysl II of Poland Elisabeth I of Bohemia (1292-1330), daughter of Wenceslaus II, wife of John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, mother of... Events March 8 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion (he soon rejects the idea after some initial calculations were made but on May 15 confirms the discovery). ... Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Elisabeth, Electress Palatine and (briefly) queen of Bohemia (August 19, 1596 – February 13, 1662), born Princess Elizabeth Stuart of Scotland, was born as the eldest daughter to King James VI of Scotland and his Queen consort Anne of Denmark. ... Flag of Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: ; German: ) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ... René Descartes (French IPA: ) (March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Renatus Cartesius (latinized form), was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer. ... Year 1650 (MDCL) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Life

After the overthrow of her father, her earliest youth was spent at Berlin, under the case of her grandmother Juliana, a daughter of William of Orange, who gave her thoughts a lofty and pious direction. In her ninth or tenth year she was sent to The Hague where her parents kept a quiet court surrounded by a select circle of noble and educated men. Here Elizabeth was taught classic and modern languages, art and literature, and showed especial inclinations toward philosophical studies. There were plans to marry her to Władysław IV Vasa, King of Poland. Being committed to the Protestant cause it is claimed that she refused to marry a Catholic king. It should be kept in mind that this episode occurred toward the end of the Thirty Years' War pitting Protestants against Catholics. Location of Berlin within Germany / EU Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE3 City subdivisions 12 boroughs Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) Governing parties SPD / Left. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... William I (William the Silent) William I of Orange-Nassau (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584), also widely known as William the Silent [Dutch: Willem de Zwijger], was born in the House of Nassau, and became Prince of Orange in 1544. ... Coordinates: Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006)  - Municipality 98. ... Reign in Poland November 8, 1632 – May 20, 1648. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The many misfortunes that befell her family may have confirmed her decision. In 1639 she entered into correspondence with Anna Maria van Schurman, a learned woman, called the Dutch Minerva. A little later she became acquainted with Descartes, who, at her request, was made her teacher in philosophy and morals, and in 1644 he dedicated to her his Principia. In 1649 Descartes followed an invitation of Queen Christina of Sweden, but continued in correspondence with Elizabeth until he died in the following year. At this time Elizabeth returned to Heidelberg with her brother Charles Louis who was now elector, but his conjugal troubles induced her to leave Heidelberg. During a visit to an aunt at Krossen she became acquainted with Cocceius who later entered into correspondence with her and dedicated to her his exposition of the Song of Songs. Through him she was led to the study of the Bible. Events January 14 - Connecticuts first constitution, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. ... Anna Maria van Schurman, 1649 by Jan Lievens, in National Gallery , London Anna Maria van Schurman (5th November, 1607, Cologne - 4th or 14th May, 1678, Wieuwerd) was a Dutch poet and scholar. ... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 For other uses, see Minerva (disambiguation). ... René Descartes René Descartes (IPA: , March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Cartesius, worked as a philosopher and mathematician. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... Principles of Philosphy (Principia philosophiae) was written in Latin by René Descartes. ... Christina (Kristina) (December 8, 1626 – April 19, 1689), later known as Maria Christina Alexandra and sometimes Count Dohna, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. ... Heidelberg and the other cities of the Neckar valley The castle (Schloss) above the town Main Street (Hauptstrasse) Shopping district View from the so called alley of philosophers (Philosophenweg) towards the Old Town, with Heidelberg Castle, Heiliggeist Church and the Old Bridge Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg... Charles I Louis, engraving by Christoph Le Blon, 1652 Charles Louis, (German: ), Elector Palatine (22 December 1617 – 28 August 1680) was the second son of Frederick V, the Winter King, and his wife, Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I of England. ... Song of Solomon is also the title of a novel by Toni Morrison. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ...

In 1667 she became abbess of the institution of Herford where she distinguished herself by faithfulness in the performance of her duties, by her modesty and philanthropy, and especially by her kind hospitality to all who were oppressed for the sake of conscience. In 1670 she received the followers of Jean de Labadie, by whose piety she was attracted. Saddened by the departure of the congregation in 1672, she retained a small body of like-minded souls under her protection. The Labadiste were followed in 1676 by the Quakers. In 1677 William Penn himself arrived together with Barclay, and remained three days, holding meetings which made a deep impression upon the countess. Her friendship with Penn lasted until her death in 1680, and he celebrated her memory in the second edition of his book No Cross, No Crown (1682), praising her piety and virtue, her simplicity, her care as ruler, her justice, humility and charitable love. Gottfried Leibniz visited her in 1678. Herforder Münster Herford is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the lowlands between the mountain chains of the Wiehengebirge and the Teutoburg Forest. ... 1670 was a common year beginning on a Saturday in countries using the Julian calendar and a Wednesday in countries using the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | 1610 births | 1674 deaths ... Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... 1677 (MDCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... William Penn William Penn (October 14, 1644 – July 30, 1718) founded the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ...

Character

"In a book about their relationship, Leon Petit claims that Descartes and Elizabeth were in love with one another [Leon Petit, Descartes et la Princesse Elizabeth: roman d'amour vecu (Paris, 1969)]. Genevieve Rodis-Lewis is inclined to agree, though in her opinion it was not a sexual passion." [A.C.Grayling, Descartes, The Life of René Descartes and Its Place in His Times (London, 2005)]

She is described as a woman of utmost intelligence speaking six languages and having an aptitude for mathematics. In her correspondence with Descartes she poses one of the most critical questions regarding his philosophy of Dualism - which states that mind and body are separate entities - namely that if mind and body are two separate entities then how do they interact with each other?

Descartes never provided a satisfying answer to this question. See the Mind-body problem for more information about this question, its history, and modern interpretations. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

External links and references

• "Other Women's Voices"
• The Woman Who Took on Descartes
• This article includes content derived from the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1914, which is in the public domain.

• "Princess Elisabeth Palatine"
• Online-Biography of Elisabeth of Boehmia, Princess Palatine (in German)

The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge is a 1914 religious encyclopedia, published in thirteen volumes. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Further reading

• The Complete Correspondence of Elisabeth of Bohemia and René Descartes