Frank Meyer | |
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Born | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | May 9, 1909
Died | April 1, 1972 Woodstock, New York, U.S. | (aged 62)
Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford (MA) |
Spouse | Elsie Bown |
Children | 2 |
Era | 20th-century philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
Notable ideas | Fusionism |
This article is part of a series on |
Conservatism in the United States |
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Frank Straus Meyer (/ˈmaɪ.ər/; May 9, 1909 – April 1, 1972[1]) was an American philosopher and political activist best known for his theory of "fusionism" – a political philosophy that unites elements of libertarianism and traditionalism into a philosophical synthesis which is posited as the definition of modern American conservatism. Meyer's philosophy was presented in two books, primarily In Defense of Freedom: A Conservative Credo (1962) and also in a collection of his essays, The Conservative Mainstream (1969). Fusionism has been summed up by E. J. Dionne, Jr. as "utilizing libertarian means in a conservative society for traditionalist ends".[2]