Marx–Benedetto Croce–Christabel Margaret Meredith

At the end of the 19th century Croce was amongst a wave of Italian intellectuals fascinated by Marx and the rising socialist movement.

This is a collection of his writings from the period, first published together around 1910. He examines the status of "historical materialism" as a "canon for historical inquiry" rather than as a "philosophy of history" in the Hegelian sense.

The core of Marx's economics (the labour theory) is critically examined, and he rejects it as a description of concrete capitalist societies but assigns it interpretive value in identifying exploitation in the capitalist system, by comparison with a hypothetical alternative.

He is not wholly negative about Marx but does declare some Marxian ideas to be fallaciously derived.

He also has criticism of the latest liberal economics, and the final sections are letters written to Vilfredo Pareto, objecting to some foundational assumptions. The ideas presented there are just as relevant 100 years later, as the debates continue.

Christabel Margaret Meredith was the author of "The History of the Bank of England,"

She also wrote Excerpt from The Educational Bearings of Modern Psychology

It is not enough for the teacher to escape the narrowness of craft tradition. 

In the teaching of youth, the adult must escape himself. Our Whole tendency in dealing with human nature is to read ourselves into others. Grown people in the contacts of society or commerce Will correct each other's misconceptions for the time being, but it is really surprising how persistently people go through the world thinking that people are substantially like, themselves.

When adults deal With children, the error of such expectations is shown up less clearly. In the presence of adult folks, little boys and girls do not Show all that there is of them selves. Often they conceal themselves under an obedience which gives the required overt act, but in which there is no heart and soul. 

Thus, the adult's misconceptions as to childhood and youth do not receive even the ordinary corrections which characterize adult relations. The teacher needs to remember always that there is a large gap between people. 

To this truth must be added another, that the gap between adults and children increases the younger children are. 

With these two safeguarding conceptions, a sympathetic mind will go far toward making daily contacts with youth render greater wisdom. But the final appeal must be made to scientific methods. The science of psychology must be made to render service in the interpretation and con trol of human nature.

Every teacher should be something of a psychologist. It is his knowledge of human nature which gives precision to his theory of human control and brings accuracy to his technique of education. The analytic cast of mind should not, of course.