Reading Western Esotericism: George Gurdjieff and His “Cunning” Esotericism
Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review January 1, 2020 Makhabbad Maltabarova
Twentieth-century scholars proposed universal characteristics of Western esotericism, notably Antoine Faivre's intrinsic and extrinsic traits and Wouter Hanegraaff's typology. This article examines George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (c. 1866–1949), a Russian spiritual teacher who developed a personal perfection method, and whose place in esoteric history is debated. Analyzing Gurdjieff's teachings and his handling of esoteric subjects, the article suggests Faivre's and Hanegraaff's frameworks are partly applicable. It argues that the uncertainty stems from both the specifics of Gurdjieff's system, which are crucial to defining his esotericism, and limitations of the empirical historical approach.