it is an end to itself. the reason it's a means to an end is because that was its end goal. in being a means to an end, it is an end (its end) unto itself, opposite to what you said, imho
I still can't parse what you're saying. The Unix philosophy is a means to an end, where the ultimate end is improved user experience. The means is de-coupling and composition. But there are other means to improving the user experience.
> in being a means to an end, it is an end (its end) unto itself
This either makes zero sense or is vacuously true and clearly not in conflict with what I'm saying.
it is an end to itself. the reason it's a means to an end is because that was its end goal. in being a means to an end, it is an end (its end) unto itself, opposite to what you said, imho