Boris Groys' 'Under Suspicion' Explores Media Ontology and Semiotics

Boris Groys' 2000 book 'Unter Verdacht' (Under Suspicion) examines the principle of suspicion in human interaction with symbols, arguing that all material symbols are inherently doubted as inauthentic. The work critiques media theory by proposing that suspicion targets not the medium itself but a 'sub-media space' where deception is presumed. Groys draws on philosophical traditions, tracing suspicion from Plato through Marx, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, and links it to concepts like temporality and economy, where suspicion of the old fosters innovation. The book's second half analyzes economic theories from Mauss, Lévi-Strauss, Bataille, Derrida, and Lyotard, connecting suspicion to ideas such as 'mana' and the avant-garde's use of empty symbols. Groys suggests that suspicion is a constant in human cognition, shaping media ontology and anthropology, with references to figures like Hitler and Princess Diana as examples of empty media figures. Published by Hanser in Munich, the book continues themes from Groys' earlier works on avant-garde, totalitarianism, and archives.