ABSTRACT
I find the wellsprings of the democratic tradition in the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. For me they are sufficient content from which to elaborate a philosophy for democracy. In their broadest context and hence in their general meaning these three ideals represent, for me, the spirit of democracy. They also identify the democratic process: the dialectic, the dialogue, the conversation that shuttles between liberty and equality, the product of which shuttling is fraternity or brotherhood. All three are proof, when they are actively present (that is, in interaction), of the presence and vitality of the democratic community.
