What was one of the major causes of the French Revolution?

One major cause of the French Revolution was the system of absolutism, which was characterized by a centralized government led by an absolute monarch who held complete control over the state and its people. In France, King Louis XVI exemplified this form of governance, where he exercised considerable power without significant checks from other branches of government or representatives of the populace. This absolute rule created widespread dissatisfaction among various social classes, particularly the Third Estate, which included the common people who bore the brunt of heavy taxation and had little political power in comparison to the privileged nobility and clergy.

The rigid social hierarchy and the unfair distribution of wealth exacerbated the grievances that ultimately led to the Revolution. The Enlightenment ideas that began to flourish prior to the Revolution emphasized concepts such as liberty, equality, and fraternity, inspiring the populace to question monarchical authority and seek greater representation and rights.

By contrast, the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, the Industrial Revolution, and the agreement of Enlightenment thinkers with the monarchy did not play a direct role in instigating the Revolution. The constitutional monarchy was a result of the Revolution rather than a precursor, while the Industrial Revolution primarily impacted the economic landscape and created social change but was not a significant direct cause of the Revolution. Furthermore,