Once upon a time, the whole world found its meaning in stories, in myths with religious significance that told them what was true, who to listen to and how to operate. These stories claimed to explain history, but really privileged the voices of a powerful few. Ordinary people uncritically accepted this these ‘fairy tales’ as true, and acquiesced to their demands. And yet, as fate would have it, the light of pure reason was on the horizon. Philosopher saviors rescued humanity from this darkness and delivered it to a brighter tomorrow! No longer were men forced, blindly to submit to mythical authority, but could now follow these wise guides who led them into the true freedom of enlightenment. Science now provided for these lost sheep the guide to rational self-assurance. And, as it will be seen, humanity will live happily ever after, freed from these mythical fairy stories, freed from this childish reliance on narratives. (hat tip to Augustus Comte for this brilliant insight)
It seems he had a plan to relieve society of its ills through positivism; but he could not relieve those of his own soul (suicide attempt in 1827). Truly “fairy stories” and the power of narrative had no effect on him…though irony abounds as he puts forth the rescue of mankind in a narrative of sociological rescue through “scientia”. May he live happily ever after…but I doubt he is.