Radical feminism arose in the late 1960s as the women’s liberation movement – was revolutionary (as opposed to reformist) and demanded fundamental institutional and cultural changes in society. Three key beliefs guided radical feminist thought and activism: 1)  gender was the primary oppression that all women face in society; 2) women were fundamentally different from men, either essentially or because of social constructions and socialization; 3) social institutions and norms are constructed to perpetuate gender inequality in all areas – politics, economy, culture, society, and individual identity. The most notable representatives of radical feminism are Shulamith Firestone, Kate Millett, Mary Daly, Adrea Dworkin, and Germaine Greer.

Shulamith Firestone was the founder of three associations of radical feminists: New York Radical Women, Redstockings, and New York Radical Feminists. In several articles, and the book The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for the Feminist Revolution (1970a), Firestone expounds on a feminist theory that views male domination over women as the most basic form of domination, while all other forms of exploitation and domination (capitalism, racism, imperialism) emanate and arise from patriarchal domination. The patriarchate used biological differences - pregnancy and childbirth - as a justification for domination. Biological differences between the sexes led to the creation of what Firestone calls the "biological family".

In all societies, no matter how different, the biological family has four common and universal characteristics: 1) biological "handicap" of women due to menstruation, menopause, childbirth, and child care; 2) a long period of growing up of children prolongs a woman's dependence on a man; 3) women's dependence on men produces power relations and the psychology that supports that power; 4) the biological family creates a full class order which forms the basis of the general class order. Women, on the other hand, consciously adapt to imposed social values ​​to survive in the male world. Women function as a separate ghettoized class, so it is necessary to spread "consciousness-raising" of women to overcome structural inequalities. Firestone advocates the elimination of sexual / gender inequality through the elimination of biological differences through artificial reproduction; the rearing of children within the wider community; the socialist economy; and the abolition of the nuclear family.

Kate Millett in the book Sexual Politics (1969) introduces the difference between a biologically determined sex and the social construction of gender roles and sexual identities. Sexual politics, for Millett, represents the idea that gender is a status category within a stratified system of gender hierarchy, and therefore gender has great political implications. The patriarchy establishes norms that regulate gender and sexuality and creates a distinction between the role of both sexes in the public and private spheres. This causes the reproduction of inequality between men and women, both in the public, that is, the political sphere, and in the private sphere. She sees patriarchy as the most widespread ideology and as the most significant relationship of domination in every society.

Millett singles out eight factors that contribute to the emergence and maintenance of patriarchy: 1) the early socialization encourages the intensification of innate biological differences between the sexes (men should be strong and aggressive, and women passive); 2) the ideology of patriarchy has its roots in different socializations of the sexes, because men are brought up to have a dominant character, which gives them a higher social status and greater social power; 3) the family has a great role in maintaining patriarchy, because mothers and children get their social status through the social status of the father, and in addition, the family is the most important place of early socialization; 4) women form a separate caste, because they are economically dependent on men, and in addition, men have psychological superiority over women, which they achieve through physical and psychological domination and oppression; 5) economic inequalities are exacerbated by educational inequalities, as women are educated for professions that are less paid and less valued; 6) religions and myths are used to give patriarchy sacral legitimacy; 7) due to all the previously mentioned factors, as well as due to sexist language, women internalize the passive character and the attitude that male domination is something normal and given; 8) Physical violence against women, which also includes sexual violence, has a huge impact on maintaining patriarchy.

In her view, one of the main aspects of patriarchy is its regulation of sexual activity itself, and this is primarily done by defining which sexual practices are legal and which are not. Millett studies how literature, sociology, psychology, and anthropology are used to create a dominant theory that serves to strengthen existing gender hierarchies. These intellectual areas have always viewed and defined a woman as something different or inconsistent with the normal (man). She advocates the creation of a society free of culturally defined gender roles, where all people will be able to develop a complete personality and where everyone will have the freedom to express their gender or sexual identity, without any social restrictions.

Authors: Firestone, Shulamith; Millett, Kate. Bindel, Julie; Daly, Mary; Dworkin, Andrea; Greer, Germaine; Jeffreys, Sheila; Jensen, Robert; MacKinnon, Catherine; Raymond, Janice; Stoltenberg John.

Books:

Crow, B. (Ed.) Radical Feminism: A Documentary Reader (2000);

Howe, F. (Ed.) The Politics of Women’s Studies: Testimony from Thirty Founding Mothers (2000);

Firestone. The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution (1970a);

     -     Notes from the Second Year (1970b);

Marx Ferree, M. & Hess, B. Controversy and Coalition: The New Feminist Movement (1994);

Millett. Sexual Politics (1969);

     -     The Prostitution Papers: A Candid Dialogue (1971);

     -     The Politics of Cruelty: An Essay on the Literature of Political Imprisonment (1993);

Moraga, C. & Anzaldua, G. (Eds.) This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (1981).