150 years before the publication of Tim Scanlon‘s “What We Owe to Each Other,” which outlines the basic tenants of the philosophical school of Contractualism, the term Ubuntu, long established in the oral traditions in the Nguni Bantu language, began to emerge in African writing. The term Ubuntu can be roughly translated as “humanity,” and philosophically emphasizes the significance of our community and shared humanity and teaches us that ‘A person is a person through others.’ While individualism appears to be running rampant globally, Ubuntu offers a counterpoint, and is the focus of the following BBC short film. Have a watch, and consider how you can step outside of yourself today.