zeitgeist
The spirit of the age; the taste, outlook, and spirit characteristic of a period.
She was anchored to that seat by the accumulated indignities of days gone by and the boundless aspirations of generations yet unborn. She was a victim of both the forces of history and the forces of destiny. She had been tracked down by the Zeitgeist—the spirit of the time.
Where it comes from
Unadapted borrowing from German Zeitgeist (literally “spirit of the age”).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry zeitgeist (CC BY-SA 4.0).