How does Python class inherit objects?

In Python, all classes inherit from the base object class, but the syntax and behavior differ between Python 2.x and Python 3.x. Understanding this inheritance is crucial for working with modern Python code.

Python 2.x Class Styles

Python 2.x had two distinct class styles depending on inheritance ?

Old Style Classes

These classes have no built-in type as a base class ?

# This example shows Python 2 syntax (for reference only)
class OldFoo:    # no base class
    pass

print(OldFoo.__bases__)

()

New Style Classes

These classes explicitly inherit from object or another built-in type ?

class NewFoo(object):    # directly inherit from object
    pass

print(NewFoo.__bases__)

(<class 'object'>,)

Python 3.x Class Inheritance

Python 3.x simplified class inheritance by making all classes automatically inherit from object ?

class Foo:    # implicitly inherits from object
    pass

print(Foo.__bases__)
print(isinstance(Foo(), object))

(<class 'object'>,)
True

Explicit vs Implicit Inheritance

Both syntaxes work identically in Python 3.x ?

# Implicit inheritance (recommended)
class ImplicitClass:
    pass

# Explicit inheritance (optional)
class ExplicitClass(object):
    pass

print("Implicit:", ImplicitClass.__bases__)
print("Explicit:", ExplicitClass.__bases__)
print("Same behavior:", ImplicitClass.__bases__ == ExplicitClass.__bases__)

Implicit: (<class 'object'>,)
Explicit: (<class 'object'>,)
Same behavior: True

Comparison

Conclusion

In Python 3.x, all classes automatically inherit from object, eliminating the old style vs new style distinction. You can omit (object) in class definitions as inheritance is implicit.