Vice and Virtues

The ability to reason and study is what distinguishes human beings from animals. This same ability is the human activity most akin to the gods’ that generates character of happiness. Therefore, individuals who gained wisdom and understandings through experience, those who practice the activity of study, are more than anyone be happy. In this sense, a vice-filled professor can lead a happy life given certain conditions. Professor S. for example, is a wise professor. His class had the highest academic ratings for the past three consecutive years. The professor himself won numerous awards for his researches and published studies, and is planning a new project with his students. However, this scholarly professor is also what people identify as a vice-filled professor. Due to the death of his dear sister, Professor S habitually drinks and gambles in order to preoccupy his grieving mind. The sulky mood along with the constant cursing and insults to unlucky people around makes the professor very unamiable. Despite the vices, Professor S continues to pursuit his studies and career as a knowledgeable person “whose activity accords with understanding.” Therefore, according to Aristotle who said “human being’s complete happiness is proportional to the activity of study”, this vice-filled professor by definition can still lead a happy life.
  Eventhough virtues are required for happiness, and being a vice-filled professor, Professor S is at the opposite end to virtues. His vice-filled condition does not deny him the chance of leading a happy life because similar to happiness, study also leads to a complete end. The professor’s activity of study permits him to aim for an end that “has it own proper pleasure,” despite his vice-full characteristics. He enjoys gaining wisdom and aims for no other purpose besides being most natural and complete through his study and research. As long as Professor S continues this activity with “no end apart from itself”; he can lead a happy life....