New Voices in the History of Philosophy Women and the 'Ingenium Philosophicum': Interview with Sabrina Ebbersmeyer
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Jan 30, 2026 
Sabrina Ebbersmeyer, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Copenhagen and specialist in Renaissance and early modern women philosophers, explores how the concept of ingenium shaped debates about women's capacity for learning. She discusses Anna Maria van Schurman’s tactical use of ingenium to argue for women’s education and Elisabeth of Bohemia’s celebrated intellectual reputation. The conversation also covers access to education and why including women in curricula matters.
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Women In Informal Intellectual Networks
- Women were widely present in informal learned networks despite exclusion from formal education.
- The Republic of Letters and salons let women contribute to philosophical debates and topics like education and natural philosophy.
Schurman's Early Fame From Learning
- Anna Maria van Schurman was famed as a child prodigy who learned many languages and gained permission to attend university lectures.
- Her lived example circulated via Republic of Letters and made her famous before she published her defense of women's education.
Elisabeth's Noble Path To Recognition
- Elisabeth of Bohemia gained renown partly from high noble status and Descartes dedicating his Principia to her.
- Her position at an exile court in the Netherlands gave her access to substantial philosophical education.
