A conclusion dispels the stereotype of Comte as an arid scientist who, because of an idealistic and unrequited love, suddenly came to see himself as the saviour of humanity. Other wrongheaded notions are also dispatched by Pickering. Far from championing government by intellectuals, for example, Comte recognized their attraction to power and tendency to tyranny. Because intellectuals will oppress the people whenever given an opportunity, they should be limited to consultative and educational roles . Individual liberty and social order are fundamentally incompatible.
Moral consensus is necessary for political and economic stability.
The careful study of history is preferable to social statistics and the application of probabilities to social phenomena. Perhaps Comte's most enduring contribution was the formal founding of sociology. Certainly, much has come from his lead. But today's sociology, with its flagging imagination, increasing fragmentation, and sterile preoccupation with quantification, has ventured far from its roots. Now may be an appropriate time to temper certain excesses and failings by reacquainting ourselves with its founder.