「經驗」這概念因其外延極為廣泛，在哲學思想中不甚清楚，經驗之可能是因人有意識，能知道自己的活動，故經驗可說是人意識自己與其他事物的關係，是直接的認識，是人活過的事件。由於這個原因，經驗的對象十分明顯、具體與實在。經驗具有多元的向度，其中含有許多因素及互相牽連的部份，故其結構十分複雜。經驗具有動態的發展過程，即指其流動性、時間性歷史性。人的經驗是人與其對象一種知性關係，且人每次經驗的，是對象片斷的顯象，但意識卻不斷的使「部份」與「整體」經驗統合;此謂人賦予每一對象的意義，表達人整體的生活經驗。整體與部分，是一與多的關係，經反思才清楚的呈現，反思是表達經驗的途徑。 經驗既是人與對象一種知性的關係，是人知識的來源，亦是人認識自己、理解人性的基本材料。對經驗的反思與說明即哲學，從經驗中人對自己的理解加以詮釋，此為哲學人類學。士林哲學在理解人時，是以「位格」、「主體」詮釋人的存有，再從本體論或關係形上學，說明二者的內涵。

　　　　　Experience is an ambiguous term that defies definition because of its extensive use in the history of philosophy. In general, it refers to the fact that man is conscious of his activities, consciousness, therefore, is the condition for the possibility of experience. For this reason, experience can be said to be the direct grasp of events lived in human consciousness. Each event represents part of the vast field of experience which is a structured whole with multiple parts. Experience is a dynamic field because of its fluidity, temporality and historicity. Human experience is the cognitive relation with reality. Each of the lived events is a fragment of appearances perceived, but there is a continuous integration of the parts with the living whole. This means that every moment of experience is a part of the experience of the whole person. This relation of the parts to the whole, the one and the many is made explicit through reflection. As it is the cognitive relation, experience is the source of man's self understanding and other forms of knowledge. Reflection and explanation of these lived events become philosophy; the interpretation of himself through experience becomes philosophical anthropology. Scholastic philosophy interprets this self understanding as “person”, and “subject”, and explains the contents of these two concepts from an ontological or metaphysical point of view.