The Spinning Silkworm: Benedetto Croce’s History as the Story of Liberty

Abstract

This article explores the abiding relevance of Croce’s last book in the philosophy of history, which, due its publication during the war has always been neglected. After discussing the context of Croce’s antagonism to the anti-historicist tendencies of his own times, the book is interpreted as theoretical underpinning of Croce’s ‘ethico-political’ histories by which he sought to close the gap between historical thinking and action. This he does on the basis of a sophisticated realist ontology, which is still relevant for contemporary philosophy of history.