Machinery vs. Ends

The tendency to worship 'machinery'—such as freedom, population, wealth, or industrial production—as ends in themselves, rather than as means to the true end of human perfection and the development of the 'best self.'

Arnold criticizes the overvaluation of machinery (e.g., religious organizations, industrialism) as a means, losing sight of the true end of human perfection.

Freedom is treated as an end in itself (machinery) rather than a means to perfection.

Critique of treating religion, business, and other pursuits as mechanical, absolute laws (machinery) rather than as means to a larger human perfection.

Critiques the treatment of free trade and population growth as absolute goods (machinery) rather than means to human perfection (ends).