Fundamentalism and democracy are presented as opposing forces in a world in conflict. Fundamentalism is described both as a threat to democracy itself and also to supposedly democratic institutions such as the university. First, fundamentalism is defined in its various guises: Christian, Islamic and economic. Each of these forms is pernicious in its influence on democracy and the university. Second, despite the contested nature of the concept, a case is made for democracy as a set of values, processes and institutions which make individual and social life both bearable and interesting. Democracy with its belief in free speech, dissent and scepticism is contrasted with fundamentalism and its unchallengeable truths. Third, reasonableness and tolerance are promoted as vital aspects of a pedagogy for higher education in order to counter the fundamentalist threat. This does not require the university to tolerate the intolerant.