Ducasse, C(urt) J(ohn) (1881-1969)

Philosopher and parapsychologist. Ducasse was born July 7, 1881, in Angoulême, France. He was educated in France and England, but migrated to the United States in 1900 and was naturalized in 1910. He began teaching at the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1912 and remained there until 1926 when he moved to Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. He rose from associate professor to chairman of the Department of Philosophy (1930-1951). He was named professor emeritus at the time of his retirement in 1951.

Ducasse served as president of the Association for Symbolic Logic (1936-38), the American Philosophical Association (1939), the American Society for Aesthetics (1945-46), and the Philosophy of Science Association (1958-61).

As a scholar, Ducasse argued for the legitimacy of psychical research, stating that such research had established a body of facts with implications for philosophy. He read about psychic phenomena, conducted fieldwork with mediums, and regularly attended parapsychological gatherings. He joined the board of the American Society for Psychical Research in 1951 and served a term as vice president beginning in 1966.

Ducasse was most concerned about survival of death. He argued that survival was not only philosophically possible but that the evidence of psychical research was impressive as proof of such survival. He also was impressed by the evidence for rein-carnation.

Ducasse established his place in American philosophy quite apart from his concerns for psychical matters. He wrote a number of books over the years. Only during the 1950s did his concern with parapsychology become evident, in such books as Nature, Mind and Death (1951) and A Philosophical Scrutiny of Religion (1953). He is remembered for his text A Critical Examination of the Belief in a Life After Death (1961). Shortly before his death he wrote Paranormal Phenomena, Science, and Life After Death (1969). He died September 3, 1969.

Sources:

Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House, 1991.

Dommeyer, Frederick C., ed. Current Philosophical Issues: Essays in Honor of Curt John Ducasse. N.p., 1966.

Ducasse, C. J. A Critical Examination of the Belief in a Life After Death. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1961.

——. Nature, Mind and Death. LaSalle, IL: Open Court Publishing, 1951.

Pleasants, Helene, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology. New York: Helix Press, 1964.