Is Croce's Philosophy Anti-Essentialist and Against Metaphysics?

This essay might be considered an attempt to analyze Croce’s philosophical discourse in general, where he points out his thoughts as a “humanistic alternative to the consolations of religion and metaphysics”; and, to argue whether his aimed task was successful, especially in setting a strict distinction between his philosophical perspective and his claimed anti-metaphysical position. The first major step to take, is to focus on his essentialist philosophy of art, namely, “art as expression”; and second, his division of knowledge between theoretical and practical, which he claimed as products of the main directions of the human mind or human consciousness which Croce called “spirit”, or, of that which “really” exists. Initially, we could argue that even this presupposition could be considered as highly metaphysical.