Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Print culture and the French Revolution — both sides of the argument:

Arguments in favour (print caused the Revolution):

1. Print spread Enlightenment ideas of Voltaire and Rousseau, which attacked Church authority and state despotism, eroding the legitimacy of the old social order.
2. It created a new culture of dialogue and debate, where existing values and institutions were publicly questioned, giving rise to ideas of social revolution.
3. By the 1780s, underground literature, cartoons and caricatures mocked the monarchy and highlighted royal immorality versus common people's suffering, fuelling hostility toward the existing order.

Arguments urging caution:

1. People did not read only radical literature — monarchical and Church propaganda also circulated widely.
2. Readers were not directly influenced by everything they read; they accepted some ideas and rejected others, interpreting texts in their own way.
3. Print opened up the possibility of thinking differently, but did not directly shape minds or automatically produce revolution.

Conclusion: Print created the conditions for the Revolution by spreading critical ideas, but it was not the sole or direct cause.

Source: Print Culture and the French Revolution, Chapter 5

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• Examiners expect both sides to be addressed with specific evidence from the passage — name Voltaire, Rousseau, underground literature, caricatures.
• The three "for" arguments and three "against" points map neatly to the passage; present them in parallel to show evaluation, not just narration.
• The conclusion should reflect the textbook's nuanced position: print created conditions, not a direct mechanical cause.
• Avoid padding — 5 marks means roughly 5 focused points with brief elaboration each.