Born: 26 December 1618, Germany
Died: 11 February 1680
Country most active: Germany
Also known as: Elisabeth of Bohemia, Elisabeth Simmern van Pallandt
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Elisabeth of the Palatinate (Elisabeth of Bohemia) was the eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, and Elizabeth Stuart. Her early life was marked by political turmoil as her parents were forced into exile in the Netherlands in 1620.
Elisabeth received a diverse education, studying philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, history, and languages. She also explored fine arts, including painting, music, and dancing. In 1633, she declined a marriage proposal from the King of Poland due to religious differences.
Elisabeth’s intellectual pursuits gained recognition when Edward Reynolds dedicated a work to her in 1640. She engaged with philosopher René Descartes, challenging his views on the mind and body in their correspondence from 1643 to 1650.
Her contributions include questioning the interaction between the immaterial soul and the material body, which influenced discussions of physicalism in the philosophy of mind. Elisabeth also played a significant role in the feminist history of philosophy, fostering a network of female scholars.