Elisabeth of the Palatinate

Princess Elisabeth
Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey
Portrait by Gerard van Honthorst, 1636
Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey
Reign29 March 1667 – 11 February 1680
PredecessorElisabeth Louise Juliane of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken
SuccessorPrincess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau
Born(1618-12-26)26 December 1618
Heidelberg, Electorate of the Palatinate, Holy Roman Empire
Died11 February 1680(1680-02-11) (aged 61)
Imperial Abbey of Herford, Holy Roman Empire
Burial
Herford Abbey
HousePalatinate-Simmern
FatherFrederick V, Elector Palatine
MotherElizabeth Stuart
ReligionCalvinist
OccupationPhilosopher

Elisabeth of the Palatinate (German: Elisabeth von der Pfalz; 26 December 1618 – 11 February 1680), also known as Elisabeth of Bohemia (Elisabeth von Böhmen), Princess Elisabeth of the Palatinate, or Princess-Abbess of Herford Abbey, was the eldest daughter of Frederick V, Elector Palatine (who was briefly King of Bohemia), and Elizabeth Stuart. Elisabeth of the Palatinate was a philosopher best known for her correspondence with René Descartes. She was critical of Descartes' dualistic metaphysics and her work anticipated the metaphysical concerns of later philosophers.