>not an end to itself
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.