In the early 1930s Marcuse began an in-depth study of Hegel and wrote a series of articles on Hegelian and Marxian dialectics while preparing a dissertation under Heidegger on Hegel's Ontology and the Theory of Historicity.¹ Marcuse never really explained why he involved himself in such intensive work on Hegel — a project that would be at the centre of his philosophical inquiries, in different contexts, for the next decade. Perhaps Marcuse thought that Hegel's dynamic and historical ontology provided a corrective to Heidegger's more static and ahistorical ontology, which was not really able to conceptualize movement and change.² Since Hegel was a great philosopher in the classical tradition of German Idealism — in whom Heidegger was also interested — Marcuse was able to do his post-doctorate work on Hegel while working with Heidegger.³ Moreover, Hegel was an important source of Marx's theory, and Marcuse could thus continue work on his appropriation of Marxism through deepening his grasp of Hegel's philosophy and dialectical method.⁴ The result of his study of Hegel was a version of Hegelian Marxism that would be a characteristic feature of Marcuse's own work.