Re-defining the relationship between critical theory and systems theory is essential for social work. In this context, several fundamental questions arise at a general level, from which positions can be established: What concept of critique exists in both traditions of thought, and to what extent can these concepts be reconciled? What theoretical productivity is attributed to critique—based on these concepts—in system-theoretical and critically dialectical reflection? Does systems theory oppose the possibility of societal critique, should it be supplemented by such critique, or does it already contain points of departure for this critique? Can the concerns and positions of critical theory be integrated into the model of social systems theory without contradiction? Is a normative reinterpretation of systems theory possible?.