After the debate, the narrative describes al-Ashʿarī and his followers as opposing Muʿtazilī views and affirming what is established by the Sunnah and the path of the community, in connection with the designation Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah.
Two levels should be distinguished: the historical formation of a particular kalām tradition, and the much broader intellectual history of Sunni scholarship. A brief remark about one school does not by itself provide an exhaustive definition of the whole history.
The practical scholarly requirement is to keep each school's argument, attribution, and criticism of rival positions distinct. Disagreement should be taught without exaggerating or distorting what a reported opponent actually maintained.