4
EARLY POLITICAL ACTIVITIES.
At 16 Marx entered the University of Bonn, and in 1836 he went to the Berlin University, in order, at the desire of his father, to study law, but he does not seem to have paid much attention to his studies. Philosophy interested him far more, and although his parents' hopes were disappointed, the world undoubtedly gained by the fact that the young Marx became an ardent student of philosophy, and joined the circle of the Berlin young Hegelians. There he made the acquaintance of much older men, such as Bruno Bauer and F. Köppens, who soon recognised the genius of the young student, although they were later to differ from him very materially. Already, at that time, his thirst for knowledge was inexhaustible and his capacity for work, self-criticism and attention to every detail which could clarify a philosophical or historical problem, was remarkable. In 1841 Marx obtained his doctorate, and thought of establishing himself at the University as lecturer of philosophy; but the experience of his friend Bauer, who was a private lecturer there, and had had no end of trouble with the authorities, soon convinced Marx that such a position would be untenable. The same year, however, the Rhenish liberal bourgeoisie founded a new opposition paper, the Rheinishe Zeitung, and although Marx was then only 24 years of age, he was made editor of the paper. His editorship was one continual fight with the censorship, "But," as Engels said, "the censorship could not get away with the Rheinishe Zeitung." Marx's great ability to win and dominate men already showed itself here. The censors allowed many a passage to go through that gave offence to the Berlin authorities. They were reprimanded and continually changed, but nothing availed, and finally the Government adopted the best and surest means of getting rid of the nuisance. They suppressed the Rheinishe Zeitung altogether. At the same time the embarrassment he found himself in when it was necessary to engage in controversy on so-called material interests, controversies on forest thefts, free trade, protection, etc., gave Marx the first impulse to study economic questions.
