Among animals, the strongest one eats the rest and governs. In human life, society puts some limits providing some timing to delay natural forces, but looking at the world as a whole system; human beings are doing quite the same.
Our chance is to overcome the dialogue of the deaf and to listen what social sciences can offer for a better life.
Robert Putnam is one of them with his work of Bowling Alone

This is the first book that I want to recommend.

Spirit Level
Why equality es better for everyone

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett

They share their ideas, evidence and aims in the following link:

Equality Trust

I believe that mankind should evolve in a similar way as people do. This means to achieve a stage of self consciousness. Also to realize that the paradigm of pursuing individual freedoms as a self-regulated system is a failure.
These thoughts should not be interpreted as a total reject of market dynamics. They are, under certain circumstances, a necessary mechanism for efficiency. However, the extent of trade-offs remains, under my point of view, uncertain. This is the nature of evolving systems.
There are too many variables, factors and perspectives that should be considered in order to evaluate our society. Wilkinson and Pickett approach in a very holistic way, what seems to be obvious; but only few are able to actually support.