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bifurcation of mind and body, and many other readings were
invaluable.

It is important to note that I am speaking only for
myself. Some of my prison mates had more doctrinaire
religious concepts which served them well, some drew resolve
from their concepts of political virtue, and so on in a
broad spectrum of varying levels of sophistication. Thoughts
of God and country helped me, too - but my "secret weapon"
was the security I felt in anchoring my resolve to those
selected portions of philosophic thought that emphasized
human dignity and self-respect. Epictetus certainly taught
that.

This has been a much longer explanation that I had
planned, but I am enthusiastic about the wonders a man in
your profession and discipline can bring about in the lives
of people in need. I wish I had the qualification to be in
your shoes, teaching in a good school. From firsthand
experience I am committed to the position that the study of
moral philosophy is a particularly relevant part of education.
And though education, as one of my favorite quotations reads,
may be but an ornament in prosperity, it is a refuge in
adversity.

I wish you well and appreciate your dedication to the
teaching of such an important discipline.

Sincerely yours,

J. B. STOCKDALE
Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy

Professor Joseph G. Brennan
Department of Philosophy
Barnard College
Columbia University
New York, New York 10027

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