I would say it's about time to demolish both the esoteric as well exoteric societies. After all (and by any standards), the former is hardly enlightened if it is "cultivating the deluded society with noble lies" disregarding that "she'd be constrained by the natural outcomes of whatever actions she might take." I mean, no human being is born a monster, and those who come to this world lacking empathy have different set of problems than ruling the world.

I'll probably look into Kronman more in depth but it will take some time -- I'm a rather slow reader. I'm somewhat curious what he has to say. Then again, I think you know that I blame the idiots in Levant 6K yrs. ago "for the modern crisis of meaning" as I see Christianity as just the latest, and in Western culture obviously the most prevalent, iteration of the same old Mesopotamian BS.