The German List

This book presents the expanded version of Joseph Vogl's inaugural lecture at Humboldt University in Berlin, in which he develops a theory of hesitation. His system of contemplative procrastination is based on Sigmund Freud's Moses of Michelangelo. Western cultural history, he argues, is characterised by decisive action, whereas procrastination stands diametrically opposed to it. Indecisiveness can not only be a hindrance but also a conduit for gaining knowledge.