After offering an overview of the Utopian's educational vision, along with their understanding of the obstacles keeping schools from realizing this vision, this paper examines the objection that the Utopians (and John Dewey) naïvely reject the reality of economic motivation in learning. A consideration of Dewey's own understanding of curriculum, vocation, and democracy--which underwrites the Utopian's vision and critique--shows this objection to be largely misplaced. Far from overlooking the influence that economic motivation plays in education, Dewey sees that this motivation itself can be a threat to the attitudes necessary for truly democratic ways of living.