Von Neumann was not trying to answer an abstract question of philosophy. He was trying to answer a concrete question.

Are there other civilizations we are likely to run into who are technologically advanced (with the kinds of technologies that we recognize)?

His answer is that, unless there is a bizaare freak coincidence, there probably are not. This says nothing about the presence of life. Or even of intelligent life which is not capable of our form of technology. (It seems likely, for instance, that the great whales are smarter than we. But they are unlikely to develop a technology that puts them into space...) Or even about what intelligent life is.

Furthermore nothing is said on whether this is good or bad. No particular value is placed on technological life. The only reason he distinguished it was that it is good at making itself noticable. (It could be fairly said that Von Neumann is pointing out how technological life will likely manage to pollute an entire galaxy in a blink of cosmic time. Make of that what you will...)

Cheers,
Ben