Zeitgeist
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 and Voltaire.[4] Contemporary use of the term sometimes, more colloquially, 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]
For other uses, see Zeitgeist (disambiguation).