What was the cause of the French Revolution?

It's possible to outline an interplay between various different causes in leading to the start of the French Revolution. One could highlight issues such as the ineffectivness of Louis XVI as a ruler, the complications resulting from new tax laws resulting in increased tensions between the nobility and the monarchy, the role of the Enlightenment in altering perceptions of the ordering of society, and the economic hardships of 1788.

It would then be necessary to elaborate on each of these points and highlight the interplay between each cause.