Ducasse was born in Angoulême, France. He obtained A.B. and A.M. degrees in philosophy from the University of Washington. In 1912, he obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is most notable for his work in the philosophy of mind and aesthetics. His influence can be seen in the work of Roderick Chisholm and Wilfrid Sellars. Ducasse was president of the Eastern division of the American Philosophical Association (1939-40) and the Philosophy of Science Association president. Ducasse wrote on parapsychology. He joined the American Society for Psychical Research in 1951 and served a term as vice president beginning in 1966. His book, A Critical Examination of the Belief in a Life After Death, is a philosophical attempt to examine the idea of life after death. In it, he expressed his belief in survival. Parapsychologists praised the book. Criticism came from philosopher Corliss Lamont, who asserted that some of the content was based on wishful thinking. Ducasse was a believer in reincarnation. Science writer Martin Gardner observed that Ducasse was notable for "combining nonbelief in God with a belief in the preexistence and the afterlife of human souls."