ABSTRACT
The starting point of a coherent deterministic theory of transition can be traced to Fredrick Engels (Olsen 2009). Taking inspiration from Engels, the rise of deterministic theories of transition was, as Olsen showed, coterminous with the evolution of the Mode of Production and Social Formation (MPSF) approach that in turn developed the philosophy of dialectical materialism and laid down the foundation of classical historical materialism (CHM). CHM was in turn deployed to explain the societal components and their connections, and more importantly for us, they helped chart the logic of transition of society that was teleological in character. While Stalinism helped popularize this approach globally, post-Stalinist trends (despite denunciations of Stalin and of orthodoxy) continued to flourish under the spell of variants of CHM.
