Joaquín Costa

{{expand Spanish|topic=bio|date=February 2017}}

{{short description|Spanish lawyer, economist and historian}}

File:Joaquín Costa, de Victoriano Balasanz.jpg]]

File:Zaragoza - Monumento a Joaquín Costa.jpg.]]

Joaquín Costa (September 14, 1846, Monzón, Huesca Province{{cite book |last1=González-Blanco |first1=Edmundo |title=Costa y el problema de la educación nacional |date=1920 |publisher=Editorial Cervantes |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5uetA7TSbqkC&dq=Joaqu%C3%ADn+Costa+%2214+de+septiembre+de+1846%22+monz%C3%B3n&pg=PA5 |access-date=15 February 2024 |language=es}} – February 8, 1911, Graus, Huesca Province{{cite book |last1=Plana |first1=Marcelino Gambón y |title=Biografía y bibliografía de D. Joaquin Costa |date=1911 |publisher=Est. tip. de F. Gambon |page=87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDlOAAAAYAAJ&dq=Joaqu%C3%ADn+Costa+%228+de+febrero+de+1911%22&pg=PA87 |access-date=15 February 2024 |language=es}}) was a Spanish politician, lawyer, economist and historian.

The son of an Aragonese farmer and his first wife, Costa was self-educated and campaigned to end what he considered to be Spanish backwardness. He desired to start a movement that would force politicians to embark on a program of educational, social, and economic reform.

According to Raymond Carr his ideas, known as 'Regenerationism' (scientific study of Spain's decline as a nation), rose to greater prominence in the aftermath of Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War.{{cite book |last1=Carr |first1=Raymond |title=The Spanish tragedy : the Civil War in perspective |date=1993 |publisher=Weidenfeld |location=London |isbn=978-0-297-81373-6 |page=22 |url=https://archive.org/details/spanishtragedyci0000carr/page/22/mode/2up?q=Joaqu%C3%ADn+Costa |access-date=15 February 2024}}