Miłość, wiara i inne cnoty w Speculum simplicium animarum Małgorzaty Porete
Love, Faith and Other Virtues in Speculum simplicium animarum by Margaret Porete

Summary/Abstract: Margaret Porete is one of the most interesting female figures of the Middle Ages. She is the author of a work entitled Speculum simplicium animarum, the main topic of which is the internal development of the human soul leading from the state of being called by God to the state of perfection, which for Margaret means complete renunciation of oneself and one’s own will, submission to the action of God, who it leads the human soul to a state of perfection along a path in which there are specific stages of growth. According to its author, this work is of supernatural origin, because it was dictated to her by God. The work is written in the form of a dialogue in which the Soul, Mind, Love, Truth, and other “persons,” such as personified mental states, and the Persons of the Holy Trinity, take part. In the article I present an outline of Margaret’s views on the basic virtues of Love and Faith and their relationship to the other virtues. Love and faith are the two forces that make knowledge possible, because Margaret rejects both the value of natural knowledge and the value of school education. Love is the source of knowledge about truly important matters, and it leads to faith, which alone is sufficient for the salvation of a perfect soul, liberated from the tyranny of prohibitions and commands, which completely renounces its own will and becomes able to devote itself to God.

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