When considering the Victorian era there is a typical reference to the zeitgeist that thought that human society and technology were inevitably progressing for the better, a sort of manifest destiny that was seemingly confirmed by the ongoing industrial revolution. This was promoted by the peace and relative stability experienced in Europe at that time, and strength of the British Empire, which had at this time reached its zenith.
What name is given to this strain of thought (either within the United Kingdom or Europe generally)?