There is the oft-repeated anecdote of the utilitarian moral philosopher weighing up whether to accept a job at Columbia. It would get more money, but it would uproot his family, but it might help his career... familiar kind of moral dilemma. Asking his colleague for advice, he got told "Just maximise total utility." "Come on," he is supposed to have replied, "this is serious!"

I struggle to think of any moral dilemma I have faced where utilitarian ethics even provide <i>a practical framework for addressing the problem</i>, let alone a potential answer.