凡是提到德意志帝国的现代化,学术界一般都会强调其经济、科技等方面的现代化与政治现代化之间的不时称,并且将德意志帝国的灭亡归咎于此。笔者认为,这一已成俗套的观点有待重新审视。从民族国家的角度来看,德意志帝国的政治制度是与德国社会相匹配的,而且德意志帝国政治现代化、民主化的发展程度也是相当高的。德意志帝国灭亡的最主要原因是其民族主义与帝国主义扩张政策,而完全的政治民主化也未必能够阻止德国走上对外扩张与覆灭的道路。未能揭示德意志帝国的这一结症,是现代化理论的一个盲点。 When it comes to the modernization of the German Empire, academics generally emphasize the occasional period between modernization of their economy, science and technology and political modernization, and attributed the demise of the German Empire to this. The author believes that this has become a custom point of view to be re-examined. From the point of view of nation-state, the political system of the German Empire is matched with that of German society. Moreover, the development of the political modernization and democratization of the German Empire is also quite high. The main reason for the demise of the German Empire was its policy of nationalist and imperialist expansion. Complete political democratization would not necessarily prevent Germany from embarking on the road to external expansion and destruction. Failing to reveal the symptoms of the German Empire is a blind spot in the theory of modernization.