I don't think it's right to say the "the economy" is illusory. I read the idea behind Marx's Critique of Political Economy as a Critique of "the reigning" (e.g. Ricardian, Smithian, Millsian) Political Economy (throw in Quesnay and the Physiocrats and Bentham and Say as well).
Remember, Marx's self-proclaimed goal was to "lay bare the economic laws of motion of society" (did I quote him right?) IF there are economic laws of motion (if one could analyze society "scientifically" by amassing evidence such as Marx does in Vol I with all the factory inspectors' reports) then there is "an economy" that is a legitimate object of study.
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