Ontology, ontological difference, ontological (Heidegger Lexicon)

“Ontology” – and its various cognates – carve out a central conceptual field in Heidegger’s philosophy, although, taken strictly, that is true only for one circumscribed period of his work. Since this particular phase is commonly considered to be the most relevant, it will be foregrounded in the present entry. Only in closing, this entry will also address the fact that Heidegger later mostly ceased to employ the terms “ontology” and “ontological difference” and how this relates to his so-called “turn” (die Kehre).