Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist (German pronunciation: [ˈtsaɪtɡaɪst] (Speaker Icon.svg listen)) is a German language expression (Zeit means "time," and Geist roughly translates to "spirit") referring to "the spirit of the times" and/or "the spirit of the age." The word Zeitgeist is used to describe the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambience, morals, and sociocultural direction or mood of an era (similar to the English word mainstream or trend). In German, the word has more layers of meaning than the English loanword; included in common understanding of the term is the allegation that Zeitgeist may only be observed for past events.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist