Among contemporary classical educators, John Dewey is routinely denounced as the arch-antagonist of classical education. He is treated as the champion of the progressive education movement which supplanted classical liberal arts education, and his educational ideas are almost universally excoriated and pilloried. In fact, however, Dewey’s though is quite complex, difficult to understand, and remarkably nuanced. This seminar attempts to provide a balanced introduction to Dewey’s educational thought through an examination of his short book Experience & Education. In this work, Dewey both criticizes what he calls “traditional education” and also cautions against the extreme tendencies of progressive education. While it is true that Dewey was no great friend of classical education, he also was an insightful thinker whose many accurate observations about education can prove helpful – even for classical educators.