This is the starting point in our journey towards a proper and complete understanding of what a democracy is.
The etymological meaning is simple enough to comprehend, but the implications are easily overlooked.
The first level of democracy is fundamental.
It is the basis upon which everything else is built.
The concepts of "freedom" and "liberty" are far-reaching.
There are many aspects to it, some institutional and external, some spiritual and internal.
Little by little, we shall explore what freedom means,
especially with regard to the core concepts of democracy and social justice.
Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws".
Philosophy and religion sometimes associate freedom with free will, as distinct from predestination.
In modern liberal nations, freedom is considered a right, especially freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.