Or does the distinctive status of books as markers of knowledge and of reading as an intrinsically virtuous activity, validated in school from the earliest age, come into play?
In sum, while there is some dispute about whether Aristotle thought more than a life of virtuous activity is required for happiness, it is clear that luck plays a significant role in determining both whether people are truly virtuous and whether people's lives are good in the broadest sense.
The authors were surprised by the results and had expected participants who were handed an unfavourable horoscope to choose the virtuous activity in a bid to prevent the outcome in their horoscope.
It is difficult, within his framework, to show that virtuous activity towards a friend is a uniquely important good.
If one lived in a community filled with good people, and cooperated on an occasional basis with each of them, in a spirit of good will and admiration, would that not provide sufficient scope for virtuous activity and a well-lived life?
Someone who is friendless, childless, powerless, weak, and ugly will simply not be able to find many opportunities for virtuous activity over a long period of time, and what little he can accomplish will not be of great merit.
Virtuous activity makes a life happy not by guaranteeing happiness in all circumstances, but by serving as the goal for the sake of which lesser goods are to be pursued.
Conversely, altruism, which Rand characterized as "the placing of others above self, of their interests above one's own," is precisely the negation of virtuous activity and is therefore a fundamental vice.
Kashdan's team said this adds to growing evidence "… that often hedonic pleasures and motives are as important to cultivating a good life as deep, meaningful, or virtuous activity".
Little is said about what it is for an activity to be unimpeded, but Aristotle does remind us that virtuous activity is impeded by the absence of a sufficient supply of external goods (1153b17 19).
