--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our civilization is first and foremost a…" description: "\"Our civilization is first and foremost a civilization of means; in the reality of modern life, the means, it would seem, are more important than the en..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/jacques-ellul-4407_civilization_our-civilization-is-first-and-foremost-a_2034006.jpg" --- # Our civilization is first and foremost a civilization of… ![“Our civilization is first and foremost a civilization of means; in the reality of modern life, the means, it would seem, are more important than the ends.” quote by Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/jacques-ellul-4407_civilization_our-civilization-is-first-and-foremost-a_2034006.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/jacques-ellul-4407_civilization_our-civilization-is-first-and-foremost-a_2034006.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a11/jacques-ellul-4407_civilization_our-civilization-is-first-and-foremost-a_2034006.jpg) > “Our civilization is first and foremost a civilization of means; in the reality of modern life, the means, it would seem, are more important than the ends.” [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern civilization prioritizes tools and resources over ultimate goals, shaping values and decisions. **In simple terms:** Means dominate over ends in modern life. Key Takeaway Focus on aligning means with meaningful ends. Themes technology values society means vs ends Mood critical reflective Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - business strategy - policy making - personal goal setting - environmental planning Key Concepts instrumentalism ethical prioritization Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure tools serve higher purposes? - What ends are we neglecting? A Different Perspective Means alone cannot fulfill deeper human needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Civilization Foremost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-foremost-3750235/) [Civilization Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization-means-599665/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Foremost Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foremost-civilization-3750236/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-important-541993/) [Means Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-reality-629051/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-life/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) ## Related quotes > [“Our civilization is first and foremost a civilization of means; in the reality of modern life, the means, it would seem, are more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/our-civilization-is-first-and-foremost-a-civilization-of-means-in-the-2/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [Realism, in so far as the word means reality to life, is always bad art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-anderson/realism-in-so-far-as-the-word-means-reality-to-life-is-always-bad-art/) [Sherwood Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-anderson/) > [Reality is how we interpret it. 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