Regenerationism facts for kids
Regenerationism (Spanish: Regeneracionismo) was an important intellectual and political movement in Spain during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its main goal was to study why Spain was struggling as a nation. They wanted to find scientific reasons for the country's problems and suggest ways to fix them.
This movement is often seen as different from another group at the time, the Generation of '98. Both groups felt Spain was in decline. However, Regenerationists focused on facts and scientific study. The Generation of '98 was more about literature, personal feelings, and art.
The most famous person in the Regenerationism movement was Joaquín Costa, a politician from Aragon. He had a famous saying: "School, larder and double-lock the tomb of El Cid" ("Escuela, despensa y doble llave al sepulcro del Cid"). This meant Spain should focus on education and feeding its people. It also meant letting go of old, proud stories about the past, like those about El Cid, and looking to the future instead.
What is Regeneration?
The word regeneración (regeneration) first came into the Spanish language in the early 1800s. It was a medical term, meaning the opposite of corrupción (corruption). Over time, it became a way to talk about fixing political problems.
This idea of "regenerating" Spain was part of a long-standing concern about the country's decline. People had worried about this for centuries. But the Regenerationism of the late 1800s was a direct reaction to the political system set up by Cánovas. This system, during the Bourbon restoration, seemed stable. However, it relied on rigged elections and widespread political corruption.
This false stability hid many problems. Most ordinary people were very poor. Wealth was not shared fairly, especially after the industrial revolution came late to Spain. Local bosses (known as caciquism) controlled politics. A small group of rich and powerful families (an oligarchy) held most of the power. Only Catalonia and the Basque Country saw strong industrial growth. Most of Spain's good farmland was not used well, leading to low wages and hunger for many workers.
Regenerationism was also greatly influenced by Krausism. This was a philosophy by Karl Christian Friedrich Krause that promoted freedom of thought. It was very popular among Spanish reformers in the 1800s. Today, Regenerationism still plays a role in Aragonese nationalism.
Important Magazines
Regenerationist thinkers wanted to create a new, true idea of Spain. To do this, they tried to show the public how the official government was deceiving them. They published their studies in popular magazines.
Many of these magazines came out before those linked to the Generation of '98. The first was the Revista Contemporánea (1875–1907). It was founded by José del Perojo. Many scholars from the Krausist Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Free Institute of Instruction) worked for it. This independent school in Madrid brought new European ideas into Spain.
Another well-known magazine was La España Moderna (1889–1914). Founded by José Lázaro Galdiano, it aimed to be like a famous French magazine, Revue des deux mondes. Like Revista Contemporánea, it wanted to be modern and open to European ideas.
Nuevo Teatro Crítico ("New Critical Theater") was another Regenerationist magazine. It was mostly written by the literary expert Emilia Pardo Bazán. She was interested in European ideas and was also a strong supporter of feminism.
Key Regenerationist Writers
Regenerationist writers published many studies and essays. These works exposed the problems of the corrupt Cánovas system. Their ideas gained even more attention after Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War of 1898. In this war, Spain lost almost all of its remaining colonial empire, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This defeat clearly showed how weak Spain had become.
Earlier writers had already prepared the way for these ideas. These included Lucas Mallada's Los males de la patria y la futura revolución española (1890) and Ricardo Macías Picavea's El problema nacional. Krausist thinkers also criticized illiteracy and the official state education system. The Institución Libre de Enseñanza, led by Francisco Giner de los Ríos, was very important in this area.
The most important writer and political figure of this movement was Joaquín Costa. His books caused a stir. These included Colectivismo agrario en España ("Agrarian Collectivism in Spain", 1898) and Oligarquía y caciquismo como la forma actual de gobierno en España ("Oligarchy and caciquism as the current form of the Spanish government", 1901). These books talked about farming issues and how powerful families and local bosses controlled the government.
Later, many other writers followed Costa's path. Rafael Altamira (1866–1951) wrote Psicología del pueblo español ("Psychology of the Spanish people", 1902). In this book, he described patriotism as a deep, spiritual feeling that people have for their country.
Lucas Mallada, like Costa, was from Aragon. He strongly criticized the Idearium español (Spanish Ideals) proposed by Ángel Ganivet. He also spoke about French dislike of Spain (Hispanophobia) and German fondness for Spain (Hispanophilia). Mallada defended Spain's actions in the Americas. He believed Spain's reputation had improved, even though the country didn't pay enough attention to its own problems. He disagreed with the gloomy views of Ricardo Macías Picavea (1847–1899). Instead of calling for a dictatorship, Mallada supported reforming Spain's democracy. He believed the nation's problems were separate from the bad examples set by its leaders. He listed the main national problems as:
- Lack of patriotism
- Self-contempt (looking down on oneself)
- Absence of common interest
- Lack of independence
- Undervaluing tradition
Similar ideas can be found in the work of the Castilian-Leonese writer José María Salaverría (1873–1940). He wrote Vieja España ("Old Spain", 1907).
The ideas of the Regenerationists were adopted by many politicians. Conservative leaders like Francisco Silvela and Antonio Maura used Regenerationism to support their political goals. Silvela's famous article "Sin pulso" ("Without a pulse") was published in 1898, right after the war. Liberal politicians like Santiago Alba, José Canalejas, and Manuel Azaña also embraced these ideas.
Even the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera used some of Costa's ideas. He especially liked Costa's call for an "iron surgeon" to make urgent national reforms. Primo de Rivera even fulfilled one of Costa's dreams: a national plan for water management (hydrology).
Many writers continued the Regenerationist movement until the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. These included Juan Pío Membrado Ejerique, Julio Senador Gómez, Constancio Bernaldo de Quirós, Luis Morote, Ramiro de Maeztu, Pedro Corominas, Adolfo Posada, and José Ortega y Gasset.
See also
In Spanish: Regeneracionismo para niños
