The concept of the "turn" (die Kehre) is central to understanding the differences between Heidegger's early and later thought. In his early work, Heidegger was concerned with the question of Being, and his approach was primarily phenomenological. However, in his later work, Heidegger turned to a more historical and poetic approach, which emphasized the role of language and the "clearing" (Lichtung) in the disclosure of Being.
To understand the turn, it is helpful to consider Heidegger's philosophical project as a whole. Heidegger's main concern throughout his career was to overcome what he saw as the limitations of traditional metaphysics, which he believed had lost touch with the fundamental question of Being. In his early work, he sought to develop a phenomenological method that would allow him to investigate the structures of human experience and uncover the ways in which we relate to Being.
However, Heidegger came to see that this approach was limited, as it relied on a subject-object dichotomy that failed to capture the full complexity of our relationship to Being. Instead, he turned to a more historical approach, which emphasized the role of language and culture in shaping our understanding of the world. In this later work, Heidegger argued that language was not simply a tool for representing the world, but rather a way of disclosing it. He also emphasized the importance of poetry, which he saw as a form of language that could reveal the essential nature of things more directly than ordinary language.
Thus, the turn in Heidegger's thought represents a shift from a phenomenological approach to a more historical and poetic one. While his early work focused on the structures of human experience, his later work emphasized the role of language and culture in shaping that experience. By understanding this turn, we can gain insight into the evolution of Heidegger's thought and the different ways in which he approached the question of Being throughout his career.
