Zaki Naguib Mahmud was born on February 2, 1905 in Damietta. He graduated from Gordon College in Sudan where his father was working. After returning to Egypt he joined the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University where he studied philosophy. He graduated in 1930 and in 1974 he went on a scholarship to England to obtain his PhD.

When he returned, he was appointed lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University. Mahmud also taught at the University of Kuwait, wrote in Al-Ahram Newspaper, and was member of the Supreme Council of Culture, the National Council of Culture and the National Council of Education and Scientific Research.

His writings on philosophy and literature, not to mention his translations have enriched our culture.

Works & achievements

A - In Philosophy

• On Positivist Logic, two parts
• On Formal Logic, 1951
• On Philosophy of Science, 1952
• David Hume, 1951
• The Myth of Metaphysics, 1953
• Theory of Knowledge, 1956
• Bertrand Russell, 1956
• The Life of Thought in the New World, 1956
• Toward a Scientific Philosophy, 1959
• The Artist East, 1960
• Jaber Ibn Hayan, 1961

B - In Arabic Modernity

• Renewal of Arabic Thought, 1973
• The Rational and the Irrational in Our Intellectual heritage, 1975
• Our Culture in Front of Contemporary Time, 1976
• In Our Mental Live, 1979
• With Poets, 1980
• This Time and Its Culture, 1980
• From a Philosophical Point of View, 1980
• Preoccupations of Intellectuals, 1981
• Thoughts and Positions, 1983
• A New Society Or a Disaster, 1983
• A Story of A Mind, 1984
• In a Conjunction, 1985
• About Freedom I am Talking, 1986
• An Islamic Vision, 1987
• On Modernization of Arabic Culture, 1988
• An Arabic Between Two Cultures, 1990
• The Outcome of the Years, 1991

C - Literature Writings

• The Lands of The Dreams, 1939
• Shakespeare, 1943
• The Paradise of the Fool, 1947
• Shreds of Glass, 1947
• A Sunrise from the West, 1950
• With the Revolution on the Doors, 1955
• Days in America, 1955
• A Story of a Psych, 1965

D - Writings in English

• Translations of Al-Akkad Poetry, 1945
• PhD Dissertation titled 'Self Determination", 1947
• The Land and People of Egypt, 1956

E - Translations
a - In Philosophy

• Four Dialogues of Plato, 1936
• The Rich and the Poor, H. G. Wales, 1937
• History of Western Philosophy, Bertrand Russell, 1954
• Logic, a Theory of Research, John Dewy, 1959,

b - In Collaboration with Ahmad Amin

• The Story of Greek Philosophy, 1935
• The Story of Modern Philosophy, 1936
• The Story of Literature, in three parts
• On Ancient and medieval Literature, 1943
• On Modern Literature, 1945
• On Eastern and Western Literature in the 19th century, 1948

c - In Cultural History and Literature Critique

• The Arts of Literature, H. T Charlton, 1944
• I Preferred Freedom, Vector Crafetchenco, 1944
• The Story of Civilisation, Will Durant, Thee books of the 1st volume, • The Appearance of Civilization, 1950
• India and its Neighbours, 1951
• Japan, 1951
• The Heritage of Middle Ages, 1967

Awards

• The State Incentive Award (1960)
• The State Merit Award (1970)
• Arab Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Award (1984)
• The American University in Cairo Honorary Doctorate (1985)

Mahmud died on September 8, 1993 (aged 88)