It has often been claimed that images of humanity play an important role in social pedagogy, but this has never been seriously substantiated. The study examines the discursive intersection of pedagogy and social work to identify what characterizes social pedagogy and where images of humanity are reflected within it. Social pedagogy is understood not as a profession or institution, but as a specific form of thinking and action that relates to concepts of successful existence. This allows for a theoretical and substantive response to the identity problem of social pedagogy.