Alex V. answered • 03/31/21
PhD student in philosophy with 7+ years of teaching experience
"Activity" here is a translation of the Greek word "energeia," which is the root of our English word "energy" and means "activity" or "work," but not quite in the sense you might expect. Importantly, Aristotle uses it to distinguish things from states or "Hexis." Virtue is a state, whereas Pleasure and Happiness (Eudaimonia) are activities. Pleasure is the activity of the body and the mind whereas Eudaimonia (happiness) is the activity of a human being more generally—as a human being.
Actions conform with virtue in the sense that to do an action well is to do it virtuously. For example, if you're engaged in the craft of pottery, then to be good at it—to make beautiful and functional pottery—is to perform the craft virtuously. Analogously, to be a good human is to do the actions appropriate to humans well, to do them in accordance with the virtues.
Obviously there's a lot more to it than this, but I hope that helps!
