Class collaboration is a principle of social organization based upon the belief that the division of society into a hierarchy of social class

Social class

Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...

es is a positive and essential aspect of civilization

Civilization

Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...

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Class collaboration under capitalism

In capitalism, society is divided into various productive roles via division of labor. These various roles may or may not constitute different social classes. But society does divide into classes based on production, and these classes are central to prosperity.

Class collaboration under socialism

Socialists, communists and anarchists are typically ideological movements which were fundamentally opposed to class collaboration, generally favoring a classless society

Classless society

Classless society refers to a society in which no one is born into a social class. Such distinctions of wealth, income, education, culture, or social network might arise and would only be determined by individual experience and achievement in such a society.Since these distinctions are difficult to...

 instead. However, some Leninists

Leninism

In Marxist philosophy, Leninism is the body of political theory for the democratic organisation of a revolutionary vanguard party, and the achievement of a direct-democracy dictatorship of the proletariat, as political prelude to the establishment of socialism...

 argue that, in a country with a large peasant population, the transition to communism can be accomplished by an alliance between two classes, the peasantry

Peasant

A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

 and the proletariat

Proletariat

The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...

, united against the bourgeois class

Bourgeoisie

In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...

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Class collaboration under fascism

In the words of Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

, "[Fascism] affirms the irremediable, fruitful and beneficent inequality of men." Given this premise, Fascists conclude that the preservation of social hierarchy is in the interests of all classes, and therefore all classes should collaborate

Collaboration

Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...

 in its defense. Both the lower and the higher classes should accept their roles and perform their respective duties.

In Fascist thought, the principle of class collaboration is combined with strong nationalism

Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

. The stability and prosperity of the nation was seen as the ultimate purpose of collaboration between classes.

Rejection of class collaboration

Class collaboration is generally rejected on the basis that it is founded on social privilege. Philosophers of every camp have argued against having social privilege in society.

Capitalist rejection of class collaboration

Capitalism is ideally based on the principle of equality under the law, meaning that social privilege does not afford any class any economic or legal advantages. Therefore (ideally) there should not be social classes, only economic classes.

Communist rejection of class collaboration

Whereas the doctrine of class struggle urges the lower classes to overthrow the ruling class and the existing social order for the purpose of establishing equality, the doctrine of class collaboration urges them to accept inequality as part of the natural state of things and preserve the social order. Furthermore it holds that the State alone 'reconciles' class antagonisms in society, and that the strife which gives rise to Communism can be harmonized.

Some Marxists use the term "class collaboration" as a pejorative term describing working class organisations that do not pursue class struggle.

Fascist rejection of class collaboration

The idea that inequality is natural and that social progress must be resisted is a distinctly reactionary and more conservative view, while more radical fascists such as the Falangists, early Italian fascists, and some Nazis (e.g. Strasserites) called for a social-revolution to overcome the old injustices which were holding back their respective nations from becoming truly great. That in itself is a great divide between the radical fascists and the conservative autocratic ones.