The widespread reception of the call for a public sociology confirms the discipline almost desperate desire to be relevant to the big social issues of time. Sociologists in many nations have felt somewhat marginalized in the public arena, rarely being asked about their insights. Thus, public sociology appears to offer a way for the various sociologies to come together to make sociology more relevant to different publics and communities. However, it is argued in this paper that this call for public sociology is, in reality, radical-left wing sociology that will infuse ideology and moral preaching into sociology's public face. The result will be that the discipline will alienate more than engage the very publics it seeks to influence. Far more sensible is to retain an emphasis on science and value neutrality, and to develop an "engineering" mentality in which sociologists use their theory and research to help clients solve real world problems. Only after a legacy of successful practice using scientific sociology will sociology be considered relevant to the bigger issues of public debate.
radical sociology; science; engineering; practice; theory