This book examines the long-standing belief in infinite scientific and technological progress and links it to the Enlightenment ideal of man as a universal being and subject of the universal world history, destined to become a 'master and possessor of nature.' Marx’s philosophy is explored to the extent that his dialectic of labor sheds light on Western technological optimism and the ideal of human universality and provides an elaborate framework for analyzing the intrinsic limits to technological progress. The focus is on Marx’s ‘early’ works, providing a theoretical and humanistic underbelly for the ‘mature’ ideas of the Capital. Examining the epistemic foundations of the belief in infinite progress, the author argues that actual infinity, either in the form of unbounded technological/scientific expansion or infinite complexity of nature, is redundant for the universality of man, his scientific pursuit and historical experience. The conundrum of universality and power calls for a systematic critique of instrumental reason, its practical applicability and value structure.