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[Reaper]

It is not an overt expression of negativity, no. In fact, I don't think Ouspensky or Gurdijeff would have considered themselves to be following such a path, and there is definitely a mixed quality to the material I've encountered. The "left" expression may be found in the encouragement to finely control one's emotions, destroying the "useless" parts of the self in order to "escape" what is seen as a lesser state of being. There are also undertones of elitism, in the posit that man cannot exceed himself without a special school or teacher, and the idea that you've got two types of people- the slaves, and those who through certain techniques have become ideal. There are plenty of positive points made as well, but in my opinion the overall package leans subtly but distinctly toward the left.

In my experience it is rare to find a text that is polarized 100% in one direction. The overtly negative stuff is often found in grimoiries or distinctly magical texts, as purely negative philosophy is somewhat hard to take seriously when it is presented out of the context of an overt seeking of power. It is far more common to find elements of that philosophy mixed in with more positive ideas.