The book investigates theories dating from the 13th to the 18th century on the moral indifference of human action with a view to substantiating the hypothesis of a heterogeneous genealogy of the specifically modern concept of 'aesthetics'. Aesthetic discourse on art did not develop of its own self and in its own right but was essentially based on genuinely moral-theological concepts (or concepts evolving in the context of moral theology) relating to the eventuality of human action being adiaphoric in origin. Both in methodological terms and in conjunction with its subject, this study proposes an aetiology, rather than a pre-history, of aesthetic thinking.

The Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon is one of the best known, most comprehensive and most reliable reference works on German literature. Spanning the ages, the work encompasses writers from all eras, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. Volume 28 contains, among other, articles on Walther von der Vogelweide, Fred and Maxie Wander, Aby Warburg, Jakob Wassermann and Max Weber. In line with the encyclopedia's broad definition of the term literature, information is also included on numerous specialists in their fields, e.g. conductor Bruno Walter and footballer Fritz Walter.