Question

Statement 1: The invention of the printing press made mass production easier.
Statement 2: The invention of the printing press was a factor that aided the decreasing influence of the Church.

• A. Statement 1 is true and statement 2 is false.
• B. Statement 2 is true and statement 1 is false.
• C. Both statements are true and statement 1 explains statement 2.
• D. Both statements are true and statement 2 explains statement 1.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Both statements are true and statement 1 explains statement 2.

As the influence of original thinkers increased, the influence of the church declined. The decline of the church's authority was hastened by the invention of the printing press. Before its invention, books or manuscripts were costly. Only the rich had access to them. However, the invention of the printing press changed it all. It made books less expensive and accessible to common people and scholars with modest means. Printed books revolutionised the way information was shared, understood, and consumed by people. Simultaneously, the Church’s authority was shaken by people who spread new ideas on science and religion.