Have moral philosophers been snobby?

"Everyone directs their conduct by directing it to desired or valued ends. Ethics, or moral philosophy, in its most inclusive sense, seeks to articulate, in rationally systematic form, the rules or principles involved. (In practice ethics has generally been confined to conduct in its moral aspect and has largely ignored the large part of our actions that we guide by considerations of prudence or efficiency, as if these were too base to deserve rational examination)"

- "Philosophy", The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, Second Edition, p702 - My emphasis.

I'll perhaps put forward my own views on this in the future. For now, I'd love to hear from everyone, though especially from those who aren't hardcore moral philosophers, whether or not they think this sounds correct.