Benedetto Croce

Abstract

In Labriola’s third essay, the formula philosophy of praxis was introduced to designate the theoretical ‘pith’ (or ‘kernel’) of Marxism and of Labriola’s own conception. Labriola’s attempt to balance the range of his diverse inspirations into a single perspective was not entirely successful, however. Benedetto Croce, who had financed and encouraged the publication of Labriola’s essays, seemed not, for his own part, to lend particular importance to the phrase, and merely commented on it as an interesting but secondary development of the ‘doctrine of knowledge according to Marx.’ Croce’s remark misled Labriola into understanding Croce had altogether dismissed the interpretation, but praxis was in fact an influence on Croce’s philosophy, from his writings on historical materialism through to his late meditations on the origin of dialectics.