Elisabeth was a princess of Bohemia, and she was never married. However, her reputation as a philosopher rests on correspondence with Descartes whom she met when she was still a young girl. Exchange of letters in the seventeen century was one way in which philosophic community advanced and exchanged their ideas. After Elisabeth has read Descartes's meditations, she was puzzled about the mind-body relationship. She wanted Descartes to clarify on the mind-body relationship. After reading Meditations from Descartes, she was confused about the interaction between body and mind (Atherton 10).
Another way that Descartes used to explain the mind-body relationship was emotion as the scene on the stage. From their correspondence, we can learn that Elisabeth was struggling with emotions, which are overburdening as much as they are attached to the external and material things (Atherton 16). In this context, Descartes wrote to Elisabeth to show her the importance of intertwining the soul with the body. He said that a great possession in many cases intoxicates in such a way that it soon possesses those who have it. He, therefore, tried to motivate Elisabeth that she shows value more than an empire and identify herself from the soul's view other than embodied self, and thus she would be able to detach herself from passion.
In conclusion, Descartes really tried to clarify the subject of body-mind relationship to Elisabeth even by using himself as an example. However, Elisabeth could critically think whatever that she was told and at the end of it all, she can solve of the problems that affect her such as dealing with emotions.
Works Cited
Atherton, Margaret. Women Philosophers of the Early Modern Period. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Co, 1994. Print.
