That talk of figure vs frame sounds like Heidegger's distinction between beings and Being. I recently came across an intriguing analogy for explaining that sort of distinction, which I'm about to write up. Hint: it has to do with animated frames.

How does Harari carry water for neoliberalism? He's more like a Buddhist who assumes cynical materialism. I just like his jaded observations and explanations. But just because you disagree with someone doesn't make that person dishonest. You're bound to find partial truths at best in a popular (as opposed to scholarly and thus unreadable) work.