IV. A FIRST ANALYSIS OF THE CATEGORY OF ACTION 1. Ends and Means result sought by an action is called its end, goal, or aim. One uses these terms in ordinary speech also to signify intermediate ends, goals, or aims; these are points which acting man wants to attain only because he believes that he will reach | IV. A FIRST ANALYSIS OF THE CATEGORY OF ACTION 1. Ends and Means The result sought by an action is called its end goal or aim. One uses these terms in ordinary speech also to signify intermediate ends goals or aims these are points which acting man wants to attain only because he believes that he will reach his ultimate end goal or aim in passing beyond them. Strictly speaking the end goal or aim of any action is always the relief from a felt uneasiness. A means is what serves to the attainment of any end goal or aim. Means are not in the given universe in this universe there exist only things. A thing becomes a means when human reason plans to employ it for the attainment of some end and human action really employs it for this purpose. Thinking man sees the serviceableness of things . their ability to minister to his ends and acting man makes them means. It is of primary importance to realize that parts of the external world become means only through the operation of the human mind and its offshoot human action. External objects are as such only phenomena of the physical universe and the subject matter of the natural sciences. It is human meaning and action which transform them into means. Praxeology does not deal with the external world. but with man s conduct with regard to it. Praxeological reality is not the physical universe but man s conscious reaction to the given state of this universe. Economics is not about things and tangible material objects it is about men their meanings and actions. Goods commodities and wealth and all the other notions of conduct are not elements of nature they are elements of human meaning and conduct. He who wants to deal with them must not look at the external world he must search for them in the meaning of acting men. Praxeology and economics do not deal with human meaning and action as they should be or would be if all men were inspired by an absolutely valid philosophy and equipped with a perfect knowledge of technology. .
