A word meaning the general belief of a specific time period [duplicate]
I remember learning this in art history class but for the life of me I can't remember. The word is synonymous with common sense. Like the belief or thought was so widely believed that it was believed to be a given fact but only in that time period.
For example, it was once common sense for people to have slaves.
My searches in the thesaurus return results with words meaning "sound judgement" or of that nature which is what I'm not looking for. Im looking for a word that's more objective, almost clinical?
Perhaps the word ethos will do. Lexico has
ethos
NOUNThe characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations.
Moving with the times is very much part of the ethos of the magazine, and of course we must practise what we preach.
So a critic might say
In the ethos of those times, human life counted for little.
There are synonyms to be found: ideology, standards, mindset etc.
Zeitgeist is what you are looking for
the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era
His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.
[Merriam-Webster Dictionary]