Frank MeyerEdit
Frank S. Meyer was a pivotal figure in the development of the postwar conservative movement in the United States, shaping a pragmatic philosophy that sought to fuse reverence for tradition with faith in free markets and political liberty. As an editor and theorist, he helped popularize a line of thought that argued for a principled alliance between individual rights and social order, grounded in anti-communism and a faith in voluntary associations, family, and religious institutions as the foundations of lasting political stability. Through his work with National Review and his writings in Modern Age, Meyer pushed for a coherent conservative program that could appeal to both believers in moral tradition and advocates of economic freedom.
In Meyer's telling, a durable political order rests on a disciplined tension between liberty and responsibility, rather than on abstract libertarian pure theory or bare political power. He championed a strategy that emphasized free enterprise and limited government while insisting that liberty must be exercised within a moral framework transmitted by culture, religion, and civic institutions. His thought became closely associated with the so‑called fusionist approach, which sought to reconcile two strands that had often stood apart in postwar debates: a defense of free markets and private property, and a defense of social traditionalism and religious faith as pillars of social cohesion. The fusionist program was influential in shaping the direction of conservatism in the United States for decades and helped to guide the policy conversations around anti-communism, civil society, and cultural renewal.
Fusionism and political philosophy
The synthesis of liberty and order
At the core of Meyer's contributions is the claim that political liberty is inseparable from social order. He argued that a robust system of individual rights must be safeguarded within a framework of moral norms and communal life. This points to a broader conservative instinct: liberty without responsibility invites social fragility, while tradition without liberty risks stagnation. The practical upshot for policy was a preference for free-market institutions, a strong civil society, and a jurisprudence that emphasizes the protection of rights while recognizing their moral grounding in cultural and religious practices. For readers seeking clarity on this line of thought, Meyer's ideas are often discussed in relation to libertarianism and traditionalism as competing but complementary sources of conservative energy.
Anti-communism and foreign policy stance
A defining feature of Meyer's work was his insistence that anti-communism be a central organizing principle of American politics. He believed that the defense of political and economic freedoms at home depended on a vigilant stance against totalitarian ideologies abroad. This stance informed his advocacy for a strong national defense, a robust stance in foreign affairs, and a political culture that prioritized loyalty to constitutional norms over opportunistic expediency. The anti-communist perspective he championed connected to the broader postwar effort to counter Soviet influence and to defend liberal-democratic norms as the governing principle of the Western alliance. For context on the broader framework, see anti-communism and Cold War debates.
Role in the National Review and the conservative movement
Meyer played a central role in shaping the editorial and intellectual direction of National Review, a flagship publication of the movement that helped bring together a coalition of traditionalists and classical liberals. Working alongside contemporaries such as William F. Buckley Jr. and James Burnham, he helped articulate a unified program that could appeal to diverse audiences without surrendering core principles. The fusionist model he promoted influenced how conservatives talked about market economics, social order, religion, and civic culture, and it provided a framework for later debates over civil society, education, and the limits of government. See also James Burnham for the collaboration and intellectual lineage that fed into Meyer's thought.
Legacy and controversies
Debates within the movement
Meyer's fusionism was never uncontroversial. Critics within the broader conservative tent argued about where the balance should lie between liberty and order, between market freedom and social obligation, and between religious traditionalism and civil rights commitments. Some libertarian-minded readers felt that fusionism compromised essential individual liberties, while some social traditionalists worried that the emphasis on economic liberty could erode shared moral norms. Proponents contend that the alliance Meyer argued for was a pragmatic synthesis capable of resisting collectivist temptations on the left and preserving social continuity on the right.
The charge of watering down principles
A recurring line of critique held that Meyer's approach risked diluting purer strands of liberalism and conservatism by forcing them into a single coalition. Supporters respond that the fusionist framework preserves core commitments to both free institutions and moral tradition, arguing that a credible conservative politics must speak to both economic and cultural concerns. The discussion continues to influence debates about the proper role of government, the limits of public spending, and the best way to sustain civic virtue in a pluralist society.
Woke criticism and contemporary relevance
From a vantage point that prioritizes tradition, order, and economic liberty, some contemporary critics of conservatism fault Meyer's approach for insufficient attention to social justice or for prioritizing market outcomes over communal welfare. Proponents of the fusionist line often dismiss these critiques as attempts to reframe or delegitimize the conservative project, arguing that a stable society requires institutions and norms that foster voluntary cooperation, family structures, and religious and cultural continuity. In this view, critiques labeled as woke are seen as misreading the historical gains achieved when liberty and moral tradition work in tandem to restrain state power and to empower civil society.