Epicurus promoted a materialist atomism which presented the soul as a particular arrangement of atoms distributed throughout the body. Therefore, we have the ability to not only be influenced by the world around us, but also to feel and derive pleasure or pain from it accordingly. Epicurus believed that the primary function of the human being is to seek pleasure and avoid pain, with all other things being secondary to this goal. In this article, I will discuss Epicurus' philosophy which emphasizes pleasure as the basis on which to define all things. As a consequentialist, he believed that to determine whether something is good or bad, we must simply consider whether it gives us pleasure. Thus he affirms that pleasure is “the starting point and the goal of the happy life”. This can be better understood by examining his teachings on ethical and psychological hedonism. For Epicurus, happiness is defined as obtaining pleasure and also achieving ataraxia, which is peace of mind. The desire for pleasure is an inherent aspect of human nature and therefore the “starting point” of all human motivation. His anthropology asserts that the ultimate motivation for our actions is the pursuit of pleasure, and given that there is nothing beyond bodies and their emotions, the true path to the "good life is a life" of pleasure. The principle is highly paradoxical. Good is evaluated by the pleasant consequences we obtain or the painful consequences we avoid, but something that brings present pleasure or pain may result in conflicting future consequences. Therefore, even though Epicurus states that all pleasure is good pleasure, one must rationally judge the total amount of pleasure or pain overall and over time. We must be true to who we are... middle of paper ... this is reason enough for an Epicurean to seek a long and beautiful life. Furthermore, Epicurean ethics has been criticized as essentially cynical and selfish. We are all separate atoms seeking pleasure in the great void; there is no sense of duty or social obligation. However, it could be argued in turn that although Epicurus did not view social obligation as the path to happiness, he did in fact view friendship as a means of maintaining pleasure. It is said that in the last days of his life, when he experienced great suffering, he overcame this suffering by remembering past conversations with friends. Obviously, I believe it is easy to agree with the fundamental values ​​of Epicurean ethics. Instead of ruminating about the past and worrying about the future, we should, like Epicurus, develop a cognitive technique that brings us back to the present and allows us to enjoy life as a gift..