Works
- Letter to Joseph Priestley, September 19, 1772, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, volume 19 (Yale University Press, 1975), 1772
In Thinking Tools
Known for
Asked by Joseph Priestley for advice on a hard choice, Franklin described what he called moral or prudential algebra: list the reasons for and against in two columns over several days, estimate the weight of each, strike out reasons on opposite sides that balance, and see where the balance lies. It is the oldest well-known statement of the weighted pros-and-cons list.