Filozoficzne podłoże mistyki św. Jana od Krzyża

The article contains a philosophical analysis of some aspects of the mysticism of St. John of the Cross. St. Jan was not a philosopher, but he used philosophical views in his ascetic and mystical views. The article is built in sucha a way that it brings out the philosophical content of the well-known Carmelite. First of all, the article focuses on John’s metaphysical views which are conainted in his writings. Next, the basics of the concept of man (philosophical anthropology) is discussed. After that, the problem of human cognition and the man’s way of getting to know God is presented. The issues of cognition turned out to be the most comprehensive subject matter, because it is the issus that Saint John devoted the most space in his works. This is understandable, because the aim of the Spanish mystic was to allow his readers to show a reliable way to unite with God. As a result of the analysis, it turned out that Saint John of the Cross captures reality with the help of philosophy, which is a certain mix of Neoplatonic, Aristotelian and Thomistic threads.