East Asians in general (Chinese in particular) are generally acknowledged to have higher IQs than Europeans, and yet they have been around for thousands of years without "always ... descending into hedonism", as you put it. Perhaps the issue is not high IQs, but mindless destruction of traditional ethics. Chinese people have been remarkably faithful to traditional Confucian morality for over 2000 years.
RE: WEAPONIZING WOMEN