This paper describes an undergraduate course for non-education majors which emphasizes rational decision making as advocated by John Dewey. The course, offered in 1976 by the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, had three instructional goals. These were to (1) provide students an opportunity to learn about current issues in American education, (2) require students to apply a model for rational decision making to one controversial education issue, and (3) familiarize students with the ideas of John Dewey. Each student selected a controversial educational issue of interest to him or her, learned a procedure for reaching a rational decision, and applied that knowledge in conducting a social inquiry (as a group member) and a values inquiry (as an individual) and in making an actual decision. In addition, an interdisciplinary core curriculum was presented through lectures, outside reading, class discussion, and films. Topics included the history of American education, the IQ controversy, busing, open education, and the philosophy of John Dewey. In addition to describing the paper, the author includes a review of the writings of Dewey and more contemporary social scientists (Hunt, Metcalf, Engle, Massialas, Cox, Iliver, Shaver, Kaltsounas, Jarolimek, and Banks) who stressed the importance of reflective thinking in making rational decisions about social issues. (AV)