Auguste Comte (1798-1857) who coined the term "Sociology" saw himself as a "social engineer" and the sociology as a methodology for rational social planning. Comte believed that postivistic study of social life will produce the necessary knowledge for building a new society (he lived in the chaotic post-revolution France).
Over the years Sociology became less pretentious and sociologists don't believe they can create an utopic society (most of them try to avoid any kind of actions which might be recognised as "political"). However "social experts" do exist in modern western society, they are usually reffered to as "organisational advisors".
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