our entire world has been set up like Donkey Kong with a series of platforms to reach, ladders to climb and barrels to jump in order to advance through it.
It sounds like you're well on your way to teaching your own philosophy classes at the university. We definitely see a lot of the same behaviors here as we do in the "real world." People talk about how it's supposed to be different, but there are still people involved, so until we change as people and become better, we'll still have a lot of the same issues.
People can change though, and if we build a community (not a system) in a way that rewards or affirms behavior that is positive for the community, then we may see progress.
People don't change through code alone as you said. It takes a community and even though not everyone can play the same roll, all can have a place.