HIstory and "Primary Movers"

When reading history or works which rely greatly on perceived historical facts it is shocking how many otherwise brilliant historians seem to see the world in terms of ideology, ethnicity and overarching, predestined narratives. While all of these have their place and indeed are integral to any understanding of a time or place ultimately every collection of people, no matter how advanced (unless it reaches post-scarcity), is based not on ideas but on food, water and shelter. Ideological, political and social constructs are all ultimately attempts to find an answer to the basic economic question of infinite wants and limited means in the form of a system of organization and the means by which such a system is maintained, adapted and ultimately used by various groups. The history of the world is materialistic by nature as we are inhabitants of the material world and while this by no means makes an idealistic viewpoint worthless it serves to put into perspective the fact that ideas without an (economic) world to relate to are just as useless as a dry list of industrial indices.