Derk Pereboom is an analytic philosopher at Cornell University best known for defending 'hard incompatibilism,' the view that free will is incompatible with both causal determinism and indeterminism. His work argues that free will skepticism, rather than undermining ethics or meaning, is compatible with a robust moral life and reactive attitudes. He also contributes to Kantian metaphysics and philosophy of mind.
Developed and defended 'hard incompatibilism,' arguing free will is undermined by both determinism and indeterminism
Authored Living Without Free Will (2001), a landmark text in free will skepticism
Argued in Free Will, Agency, and Meaning in Life (2014) that skepticism about free will is compatible with moral responsibility and meaningful existence
Contributed to debates on the relationship between metaphysics, ethics, and moral responsibility
Scholarly work on Kant's theoretical philosophy and philosophy of mind