It seems difficult to have this conversation once you’ve concluded only utilitarian ethics are valid, because the problem is whether or not utilitarian ethics are valid. (I’m excluding utilitarian ethics that are developed to a point where they are functionally deontological from consideration.)
Whether or not you are trying to maximize social status or some sort of abstract quality seems to be the issue, and I’m not sure it’s possible to have an honest conversation about that, since one tends to improve social status by claiming to care (and/or actually caring) about an abstract quality.
It seems difficult to have this conversation once you’ve concluded only utilitarian ethics are valid, because the problem is whether or not utilitarian ethics are valid. (I’m excluding utilitarian ethics that are developed to a point where they are functionally deontological from consideration.)
Whether or not you are trying to maximize social status or some sort of abstract quality seems to be the issue, and I’m not sure it’s possible to have an honest conversation about that, since one tends to improve social status by claiming to care (and/or actually caring) about an abstract quality.