Great reply, thanks. I came to philsophy I “think” around the time that the big switch was happening in the US as far as schools go. The old Big stuff was still taught in beginning classes, and was certainly interesting. But at the graduate level it had started to fall away. I do remember going into grad school with the big stuff in my head only to find out that serious philosophers, i.e. my professors, had pretty much moved on to the methods you mentioned, a more grounded approach. It really threw me for a loop.
Anyway, your last statement about goldfish is definitely true…a million degrees different, but still, a matter of degrees. 
Although, maybe not?? We can use our concepts to improve our lot. Goldfish on the other hand can’t. So maybe it’s half and half.