Thank you for your comments. You are correct that in some contexts, "patriarchy" means the rule of an older singular man, such as "the patriarch of the family." Right or wrong, philosophy uses "patriarch" to mean the social structure of male dominance. That's the meaning I am using as a philosopher.

You are definitely correct that patriarchy also damages men, because the social structure of hierarchy isn't only about men over women. It's about hierarchy itself, about the structure trains people to believe they need to dominate and abuse other to be okay in themselves. Like you say so well, we need to let go of the factors that maintain patriarchy, forgive, and rebuild our relationships.