At the age of 16, Kant commenced his studies at the University of Königsberg. It was here that he first grappled with the ideas of the Enlightenment. Kant was enthusiastic about philosophy and Isaac Newton’s physics, which was still new at the time. At the age of just 22, he confidently published his first book on natural philosophy.
After his father died in 1746, Kant spent at least six years as a tutor in the East Prussian province – as was customary at the time. This was the only period of his life in which Kant left Königsberg for an extended length of time. He used his rural stay for further studies and it was not until 1755, after his return, that he graduated from university as a "Magister".