This historical-themed critical paper utilises writings by John Dewey to review how constructions of social democracy might benefit conceptions of contemporary physical education. The review focuses on Dewey's early ethics writings which considered that society functioned best when collective moral purposes merged with individual freedoms in a context where one should be alert to the marginalising influences of laissez-faire liberalism. The paper reviews why earlier attempts to engage with Dewey's theorizing in the United States of America failed to result in sustained progress. Using this analysis, the paper then considers whether a greater interest in activist forms of participation could be enhanced further by establishing clearer Deweyan-informed links to democracy and learning. It is argued that physical education is best equipped to withstand the ramifications of advanced capitalism if students experiences are continuous and interactive, and contain a degree of responsibility and control over the pace and direction of learning.