Liberties, rights, public policies and water fluoridation

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the negative and positive concepts of liberty and postulate its interdependent and complementary relationship in the evaluation of public policy intersectoral actions, taking water fluoridation as a case. METHOD: To describe scopes and limits regarding 1950s Isaiah Berlin’s distinction, showing its validity in facing the harmful effects of an uncontrolled market economy and an autocratic political regime. RESULTS: Both the rights that protect citizens against a powerful state and the rights that protect the state against powerful citizens were equally acknowledged as crucial. CONCLUSION: We argued that, in a context in which negative and positive liberties are balanced, regulatory policies have double meaning. Thus, there should be a balance between the establishment of necessary rules for social protection and limits for them not to violate individuals’ rights.