There are many cases in which the behavioural norms and standards of a society, and even its accepted laws, are very far from enlightened. That is what I meant by making things worse. A society can encourage the best traits of its members to flourish, or the worst ones. A society can continue to function and yet be tyrannical, or savage, so long as it maintains a degree of internal stability.
In practice, of course, no society is either utopian or utterly irredeemable, but they can be closer to one than the other. And people can do terrible things and convince themselves that they have noble aims. Persecuting a sub-section of society for holding different beliefs and standards than the majority, for instance, and blaming them for social ills.
Preya's society seems more enlightened than many, it's true, but I'm speaking in generalities.