First, thanks for such an insightful essay. To be sure, the conundrum discussed in it has been the eternal problem of just governance in the interest of doing what is best as a group for the group as a whole.

One way out of that dilemma is to recognize that heretofore governance has always been "contests of power" (from Michel Foucault) involving either personal power (such as dictatorships) or beliefs (involving theologies/ideologies) and to realize that the way forward is an approach to just governance that does not involve personal power or beliefs, but follows itself from observation within material existence. With an ethic of justice itself found in material reality, the way would be clear for governance to be consistent with material reality, rather than being hijacked by contests of power as ends in themselves.

In short, rationality would replace personal power and beliefs in the governance of governance. Disagreements over the best policy could still exist, but the only legitimate ground of argument would be empiricism, not beliefs that refer to some non-material reality or a personal desire to dominate as an end in itself.