Dewey begins this book by establishing several concepts, one of which is the difference between inanimate objects and living beings. An important feature for all living beings is experience, that is, their relationship with the world around them. Human beings are complex. Therefore, their environment comprises several integrated aspects such as society, politics, and culture. One consistent overarching theme in Democracy and Education is the importance of linking education to experience. In turn, experience is linked to the relationship with the real world outside school—both the physical environment and social interactions.

Already in 1892, Dewey defined experience as follows, “Our experience is simply what we do” (Berding, Joop W. A. (1997) "Towards a Flexible Curriculum: John Dewey's Theory of Experience and Learning," Education and Culture: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1, Article 5, p. 25). Dewey views education as a lifelong process that continually reconstructs one’s experiences (59). Because experience is continuous and dynamic, it should not be compartmentalized—and neither should education. At the same time, education can have different integrated features. For example, it can have passive and active aspects like experience:

The nature of experience can be understood only by noting that it includes an active and a passive element peculiarly combined.