Epicurus did not set out to direct people towards pleasure and the avoidance of pain. He takes for granted and considers self-evident that these are the motivations and purpose of every human action. The problem he wants to solve is the failure of people to secure the happiness that they naturally desire and strive for. His ethics is a system of education on the means by which people can ensure a life where pleasurable experience outweighs pain.

A.A. Long If in Greece the serious study of Epicurean philosophy is in its infancy, the same is not true for the rest of the Western world; the explosion of interest in Hellenistic philosophy, which occurred at the end of the 20th century, has yielded and continues to produce results: a wealth of studies, a high level of dialogue, extensive bibliography. Numerous scholars are engaged in the restoration of ancient texts, the clarification of their meanings, their philosophical interpretation, as well as the criticism of Epicurus' positions.

A selection of the most significant studies is the book "Epicurean Ethical Philosophy."