ABSTRACT
Marxism—like other Utopian, milleriarian, revolutionary movements—began with an abiding faith in the future. It was an exciting thought, and one that attracted many followers, that just as there are laws of nature that science sought to uncover, so there are laws that explain human and societal behavior. Just as science would bring about a better future, in addition to revealing to us the periodic table of elements and the theory of evolution, so "scientific socialism" claimed to chart the road map to a future world of peace and plenty and personal fulfillment, in addition to uncovering the historical stages of human development and the underlying dynamics of change. The optimism about the direction of "progress" and the sense of inevitability about the process were essential parts of this belief system which many would perceive as an attractive vision.
