"For the Fascist, everything is in the State, and nothing human or spiritual exists — and still less has value — outside the State. In this sense Fascism is totalitarian, and the Fascist State, the synthesis and unity of all values, interprets, develops and gives strength to the whole life of the people. Outside the State there can be neither individuals nor groups. The Fascist State is not a night watchman, solicitous only of the personal safety of the citizens; nor is it organised exclusively for the purpose of guaranteeing a certain degree of material prosperity and a relatively peaceful social life. The State is also a spiritual and moral fact in itself."

Benito Mussolini, 'The Doctrine of Fascism', published in the Enciclopedia Italiana, 1932. The entry was written by Mussolini with philosopher Giovanni Gentile and represented the most systematic theoretical statement of fascist ideology.