At the center of this book is a cultural scientific reformulation of Luhmann's system theory in relation to social work. Against the backdrop of criticism of previous attempts to establish a system-theoretical foundation for the discipline, the symbolically generalized communication media of love and power and their transformation in the context of the genesis of the help system are analyzed. This allows for an empirical connection of the system-theoretical approach to social work that has previously been neglected, and it creates an additional element for the development of scientific theoretical perspectives in social work.