Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Thinkers like Mercier believed that print spread Enlightenment ideas — attacking superstition, despotism, and the arbitrary power of the Church and state. By circulating the writings of thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau, print created a culture of dialogue, debate, and rational questioning. Mercier declared, "The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress," believing it would sweep despotism away.

However, a historian must apply caution: people did not read only one kind of literature. They were also exposed to monarchical and Church propaganda, and did not absorb everything they read. Print opened up the possibility of thinking differently — it did not directly shape minds.

Source: Chapter 5, Section 4.1 and 4.2

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• 2 marks go to Mercier's reasoning: print spread Enlightenment ideas, created debate, eroded legitimacy of despotic order — cite him directly for impact.
• 1 mark goes to the historian's caution: people read varied literature, interpreted selectively, were not mechanically influenced. The key phrase examiners look for is "print did not directly shape their minds, but opened up the possibility of thinking differently."
• Avoid over-explaining — the answer above is at the right length (~90 words). Do not write a full essay on the French Revolution.