A philosopher and political, economic, and social theorist, Karl Marx lived a difficult life often on the run. He was frequently compelled to hide his identity and to flee as a perpetual political exile from many European states.

Marx was born in Trier in Rhenish Prussia on May 5, 1818. His family was solidly middle class (or, as Marx might have referred to them, petty-bourgeois); his father was a lawyer. Marx majored in history and philosophy first at the University of Bonn, where he studied before he transferred to the University of Berlin. In Berlin, he submitted his doctoral thesis on the philosophy of the Greek philosopher Epicurus. At this point in his education, his interest in Hegelian philosophy deepened, and he still believed himself an idealist, like Hegel.

After his studies, Marx aspired to become a professor at the University of Bonn, but the Prussian government’s censorship of academics led him to different pursuits. He began to contribute to and to edit various revolutionary-democratic magazines in Cologne which were shut down by the government for their criticism of right-wing ideologies.

In 1843 Marx moved to Paris, where he became an active participant in the radical journal scene.