Abstract. As is well known, the formation of a free civil society with the state as its goal, each people is a multifaceted process combining methodological and specific sociopractical features. The article considers its philosophical and methodological aspects. A free civil society, operating as a form of social organization, and its consolidation as a state governed by the rule of law, is methodologically composed of three components. Firstly, there is the humanitarian and legal aspect, which covers the system of basic human rights and freedoms. Secondly, there is the legal aspect, which includes a system of legal acts aimed at the protection of human rights, the implementation of the priorities of the State governed by the rule of law and civil society in general. Thirdly, there is the institutional and legal aspect, which implies a constitutional separation of powers, which requires a balance of power for balanced and harmonious functioning, and imposes on it an obligation not to interfere. The more people in civil society are equal, the freer, the more equal people will be. Understanding equality as equality of opportunity to meet needs means freedom. Because equality of all opportunities means freedom for every person.