The interest in a problem of social education amplifies in the period of considerable changes in society. It is not casual as it substantially causes nature of development of society, influencing process of socialization of younger generations, formation of mechanisms of transfer of social experience and traditions. Social and pedagogical approaches find special relevance in Russia from the second half of XIX- the beginning of the XX centuries that corresponded to a universal tendency of formation of social pedagogics as areas of independent scientific knowledge. The purpose of article consists in the characteristic from modern positions of the organization of social education in works of the famous German philosopher, teacher Paul Gerhard Natorp (1854-1924). Culturological, historical-comparative, system approaches are leaders in the characteristic of this problem. The judgment of social and pedagogical, cultural and historical experience testifies that the term "social pedagogics" was introduced into scientific circulation by P. Natorp in the work "Social Pedagogics". The interrelation of education and society promoted formation of social pedagogics. According to P. Natorp, society (community) is the main condition of education. And, on the contrary, education is the main condition of activity of society. Materials of article can be useful to organizers of educational work with school students, to teachers for acquaintance to historical experience of social education.