Frank Meyer

Frank Straus Meyer was an American philosopher and political activist, born in Newark, New Jersey, on May 9, 1909. He was educated at Princeton University and Balliol College, Oxford. Meyer was initially involved in communist activism and was expelled from the London School of Economics in 1933. During World War II, while serving in the US Army, he read F. A. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom," which led to an "agonizing reappraisal" of his communist beliefs. By 1945, he had completely broken with the Communist Party. Meyer became a close associate of William F. Buckley, Jr., and a founding editor of "National Review," where he contributed a column titled "Principles and Heresies." His most influential work is "In Defense of Freedom: A Conservative Credo" (1962), which outlines his theory of "fusionism." This philosophy seeks to unite libertarianism (emphasizing individual freedom and limited government) with traditionalism (emphasizing moral order and cultural heritage) as the core of modern American conservatism. Meyer argued that freedom is a means, not an end, and must be balanced by responsibility derived from tradition. He believed that the tension between freedom and tradition is essential for a healthy society. Meyer converted to Catholicism shortly before his death on April 1, 1972, in Woodstock, New York, from lung cancer. His ideas significantly influenced the development of the modern conservative movement in the United States.