Final answer:
The causes of the French Revolution were multifaceted, involving economic hardship, the influence of the Enlightenment, and political discontent. These factors combined to set the stage for significant societal upheaval and a push for a constitutional monarchy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speaker believes that the French Revolution was caused by a multitude of factors including poor harvests leading to starvation, financial crisis due to extravagant spending by the monarchy and France's support of the American Revolutionary War, and a rise in Enlightenment thinking that emphasized liberty, equality, and justice. Economic strain was further exacerbated by the Crown's failed attempt to implement a land tax on the aristocracy.
Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu influenced the public with ideas of natural rights and the benefits of a constitutional monarchy, which fueled discontent and the pursuit of change. The initial phase of the Revolution sought a constitution to limit royal power, which was reflective of Enlightenment ideals found in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.