Historical materialism and the economics of Karl Marx

"Historical Materialism and the Economics of Karl Marx" by Benedetto Croce is a philosophical examination from the late 1800s that studies the economic concepts related to historical materialism as they connect with Marx’s theories, and asks serious questions about how valuable they are when trying to understand and interpret history and economics. Croce wants to make it clear how economic forces affect history separate from broader philosophical explanations. The book starts by explaining Croce's goal to use philosophical analysis to understand historical materialism, mentioning Antonio Labriola’s work on the topic. Croce argues that historical materialism shouldn't be seen as a complete way of understanding history, but more as a group of facts about how economic reasons affect what happens in history. He challenges ideas that say historical materialism tries to boil down all of history to just economic situations, arguing instead for a more balanced view that includes all kinds of societal influences and the effects of individual humans in the historical timeline. This core idea leads to a more involved look at how economics and history relate as the book continues.