The radical identifies that the only way to rid society of patriarchy is to attack the causes of the problems and also to address the fundamental components of society that support them.

The second wave of feminism during the 1960's to 1970's produced liberal feminist writers such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem and Rebecca Walker who is one of the third wave's liberal feminist's writers.

They hold the view that patriarchy is as a manifestation of an involuntary hierarchy. The anarchist struggle against patriarchy is also an important part of the class struggle against the state.

Catharine Mackinnon, Andrea Dworkin, Robin Morgan and Dorchen Leidholdt were prominent anti-pornography feminists. They believe that pornography is an example of oppression of women, which is opposite to what the sex-positive feminist believe.

Some feminists argue that "gendered and sexed identities, such as 'man' and 'woman' are social constructs, meaning that some gender roles are socially conditioned rather than innate."