Ang Etika at Estetika ng Palay at Lupa: Isang Pag-unawa sa Ethos ng Pagpapalayan mula sa Land Ethic at Aesthetic ni Aldo Leopold - Naval, Jeanette Yasol (Philippine Social Sciences Review; PSSR Vol. 68 No. 2 2016, Ed. Rogelio Alicor L. Panao, 2017)
This paper is a narrative on the ethics and aesthetics of rice and land, part of a larger study titled Ethos of Rice: Environmental Ethics Behind the Traditional Culture of Rice and its Production in Nueva Ecija, which explores the ethical and cultural dynamics of rice farming in this part of the Philippines. It looks at the perennial struggle between economic utility and ecological sustainability, and shows how the organic relationship between farmers and their land is disrupted when farming becomes heavily production-driven. It argues that rice is more than just an economic crop but a way of life and an embodiment of a sense of community and personal fulfillment among farmers. Echoing Aldo Leopold’s ideas on land ethic and aesthetic, it calls for ecological conscience in the valuation of rice and individual responsibility to ensure land health. Ang papel na ito ay isang naratibo tungkol sa etika at estetika ng palay at lupa na bahagi ng isang pag-aaral at saliksik na may pamagat na Ethos of Rice: Environmental Ethics Behind the Traditional Culture of Rice and its Production in Nueva Ecija1. Tinatalakay nito ang walang katapusang debate tungkol sa ekonomiya ng pagpapalay, at kung paano nito naaapektuhan ang lupa at ang organikong relasyon ng magsasaka sa lupa. Ipinapakita sa debateng ito kung paano ang ethos ng palay at pagpapalayan bilang isang instrumentong pang-ekonomiko, na bagama’t popular, ay hindi magbubunga ng wastong ekwasyon ng halagahan. Kontensiyon ng awtor na kailangang maipasok ang ekonomikong pagpapahalagang ito sa ekwasyon ng etikang pangkapaligiran. Ang diskurso ay batay sa konsepto ng etika ng lupa at estetika (land ethic and aesthetic) ni Aldo Leopold na humihiling ng konsensyang ekolohikal (ecological conscience) at sensibilidad sa ‘mas dalisay’ na kagandahan ng palayan, at kung paanong maaari itong gumiya sa pagkakaroon ng indibidwal na obligasyon para sa kalusugan ng lupa o land-health.
Keywords: ethos, palay, lupa,land ethic,estetika ng palay, rice land, aesthetic of rice