Seeking advice, he wrote to several colleagues he respected, including a wise and resourceful man he’d met while writing the history of electricity: Benjamin Franklin. FRANKLIN REPLIED WITH THE moral-algebra letter cited in our introduction, suggesting that Priestley use the process of pros and cons to guide his decision. Thanks to the record provided by Priestley’s letters to friends, it’s possible to imagine how Priestley would have used the moral-algebra process. The pros: good money; better security for his family. The cons were more plentiful. The job might require a move to London, which
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