far as they are within the state.”
The idea of freedom, in fascist theory, is in accordance with
the position taken by Hegel. Freedom can only be found in
submission to the state. Physical submission is all that the state
would require. The benefits of this submission would be found
in the spiritual growth of each individual, since as the state grows
and prospers, each individual grows spiritually with it. Mussolini
uses the analogy of a soldier marching, in step, as a part of an
army. The individual is not demeaned by submitting to the lock
step of the group; rather, he becomes a part of a larger, greater,
more powerful unit which glorifies the individual by making him
part of something greater than himself.
The final precept of fascism is the idea of the corporate state.
This concept has elements of the syndicalist movement (extreme
left wing socialists) in it, and the term “national socialism” is
very close to being the definitive term for explaining its mean
ing. Marxism on an international scale, and democratic capital
ism on a national scale were seen by the fascists as divisive,
encouraging class conflict and disunity. The corporate state was
meant to abolish strife between the workers and the employer,
head off international communism, and end capitalist exploita
tion.
In the corporate state all units of production would be united
in a syndicate, or corporation, in which managers and foremen,
owners and workers, would all be fairly represented, and in
which all would work together for the national good. Private
interests and union principles would be transcended, and the
public would benefit with increased production and industrial
harmony. This group would determine national priorities, coop
erate in the achievement of agreed-upon goals, and eliminate
conflicts which might impede national progress.
The corporation would work to insure the economic well
being of the state. The success of this program might not provide
individuals with particular products that they might want, but it
would provide the community with the goods needed to aid in
the growth, strength, and progress of the state. Consistent with
fascist theory, the economic well-being of the state is the primary
goal, since if the state prospers, so does the individual. Also, the
narrow individual desires that are satisfied by other economic
systems do not contribute to the spiritual growth of the indi
vidual or the state.
190 Political Theory: The Relationship of Man and the State