Why do you think that a growing middle class in France envisaged an end to the privileges?

Explanation

• In the past, peasants and workers had participated in revolts against increasing taxes and food scarcity.
• But they lacked the means and programmes to carry out full-scale measures that would bring about a change in the social and economic order.
• The 18th century witnessed the emergence of social groups termed as ‘Middle Class., who earned their wealth through an expanding overseas trade and from the manufacture of goods, such as woollen and silk textiles that were either exported or bought by the richer members of the society.
• In addition to the merchants and manufacturers, the third estate included professionals such as lawyers or administrative officers.
• All of these were educated and believed that no group in the society should be privileged by birth. Rather a person.s social position must depend on his merit. These ideas envisaging a society, based on freedom and equal laws and opportunities for all, were put forward by philosophers.