Zeitgeist

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In 18th- and 19th-century German philosophy, a zeitgeist^[1] (capitalized in German; German pronunciation: [ˈtsaɪtɡaɪst] ^ⓘ) ("spirit of the age") is an invisible agent, force, or daemon dominating the characteristics of a given epoch in world history.^[2] The term is usually associated with Georg W. F. Hegel, contrasting with Hegel's use of Volksgeist "national spirit" and Weltgeist "world-spirit". Its coinage and popularization precede Hegel, and are mostly due to Herder and Goethe.^[3] Other philosophers who were associated with such concepts include Spencer^{[year needed]} and Voltaire.^{[year needed][4]}

Contemporary use of the term sometimes, more colloquially, is similar to the Overton Window refers to a schema of fashions or fads that prescribes what is considered to be acceptable or tasteful for an era: e.g., in the field of architecture.^[4]