(2.pg18) Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion

“Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion”  –Francis Bacon

The effectiveness of electrical research increased as it became more and more articulate, because it got a direction after Franklin’s work.

Franklin’s work reduced the need for “electricians” to re-emphasize the fundamentals, because after his work they were convinced that they were on the right track, and could hence focus on specific research.

     Franklin’s theory gave explanation of a special apparatus ‘Leyden’s jar‘ and his success in doing so was significant.

The ‘Leyden’s jar‘ in itself was the fruit of the work of researchers who believed in fluid theory of electricity, and their pursuit of trying to bottle up this electrical fluid.

     however even the fluid theory of electricity in itself was a thought competing with several other theories. Each theory has its own devoted set of followers.

The debate between these competing schools of thought, always meant that each group had to re-iterate the fundamentals. This CONFUSION meant that there was little progress.

     Franklin’s work ended this confusion, as it provided a direction for researchers to focus their activities.

     To be able to do this Franklin’s theory did not need to explain all the facts, all it needed to be, was to be better than other competing theories.

     Franklin’s theory in itself was not comprehensive, like it never actually accounted for mutual repulsion of -vely charges bodies.

Yet this ERROR in his theory was better than the CONFUSION of the previous schools of thought.

Here Franklin’s theory can be considered as a ‘Paradigm’ because firstly it managed to attract many researchers from competing theories as his theory was slightly better, yet it managed to leave many open ended avenues for the researchers to pursue.