Masud Zakaria
Philosopher · Writer · Researcher · Public Intellectual
Exploring the foundations of thinking, knowledge, education, and civilization through philosophy, research, writing, and public engagement.
“The future of civilization depends not merely on freedom of expression, but on freedom of thought.”
Current research
All programmesTheory of Intellectual Freedom
A systematic account of intellectual freedom as a condition prior to, and more fundamental than, freedom of expression.
Bangladesh and the Crisis of Thinking
An extended diagnosis of the intellectual condition of Bangladesh: why a society with immense human capacity produces so little original thought.
Knowledge-Producing Civilizations
A comparative study of the conditions under which civilizations become producers, rather than consumers, of knowledge.
Selected writing
All writing- May 2026What Is Thinking For?We speak of thinking as though its purpose were self-evident. It is not.
- March 2026Notes on Reading SlowlyA short note on why the pace of reading determines what reading can do to a mind.
- November 2025The Cost of CertaintyCertainty is cheap to hold and expensive to maintain.
Books
The bookshelfInitiatives
All initiativesThe Freedom of Thought
Founder and Principal Investigator
Global Open Education
Founder
Bangladesh Polity
Executive Editor
Organization for Social Orientation
Executive Director