Engels admitted overstressing economic determinism in polemic

Evidence

Marx and I are ourselves partly to blame for the fact that the younger people sometimes lay more stress on the economic side than is due to it. We had to emphasize the main principle vis-a-vis our adversaries, who denied it, and we had not always the time, the place or the opportunity to allow the other elements involved in the interaction to come into their rights. But when it was a case of presenting a section of history, that is, of a practical application, it was a different matter and there no error was possible. — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 271

Categorization

• XREF: The famous Engels apology letter — connects to critiques of vulgar Marxism and the economism debates Robinson engages throughout. — connects to: Engels himself conceded Marxists bore blame for crass economic reductionism — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 500; Engels could not escape economic determinism using Marx’s own conceptual tools — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 499
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 271