強調民族志節，是儒家的基本信念，或可以說是中國儒者承孔子的春秋筆法之教而有的民族主義。一般人以為儒家的嚴夷夏之防的民族觀，是一種狹隘封閉的意識形態：在邊疆外族入侵華夏的崩毀昏亂之時代，儒者一則必以身家殉道，一則必視外族為夷狄仇虜。然而觀諸南明大儒朱舜水的抉擇，實則不然。他選擇效法微子去國，並且義不臣於女真而乘桴浮於東海，中年之後，在東亞海上漂泊十多年，晚年終能在日本長崎、江戶獲得安棲，並得到日本士子、貴族的尊崇以及師禮。朱舜水甚至以堯舜孔孟之國期待日本。本文先敘朱舜水的民族志節之形態，再以地圖說明其東海之漂泊，同時敘述其海上生涯的際遇和心志。

One of the central doctrines of Confucianism is national-moral integrity, the Chinese Confucians' version of nationalism as influenced by Confucius' teachings in the Spring and Autumn Annals. Some regard this form of nationalism as a kind of narrow-minded parochialism: a Confucian must be ready for martyrdom when confronting a foreign invasion and, moreover, must regard all foreigners as barbarians. However, that was not the case for Chu Shun-shui, a leading Confucian in the Southern-Ming Dynasty. He emulated Wei-Zi, refused to accept the position offer from Jurchen regime and embarked on his journey overseas. After drifting around East Asia for more than a decade, Chu eventually settled down in Nagasaki and Edo and was held in high esteem by the local scholars and elites; he then began to expect another golden age of Confucianism in Japan. This article shall firstly determine the form of Chu's national-moral integrity. It then traces Chu's journey around the East China Sea, including the major events and his aspirations, illustrated with the aid of maps.