Friedrich_Nietzsche - Untimely_Meditations_(Cambridge_Texts_in_the_History_of_Philosophy__1997)

Untimely Meditationsany tree ever bore its apples: they cause no alarm, they remove nothingfrom its hinges; and of all their art and aims there could be saidwhat Diogenes said when someone praised a philosopher in hispresence: 'How can he be considered great, since he has been aphilosopher for so long and has never yet disturbed anybody?' That,indeed, ought to be the epitaph of university philosophy: 'it disturbednobody'. But this, of course, is praise of an old woman ratherthan of the goddess of truth, and it is not to be wondered at if thosewho know that goddess only as an old woman are themselves veryunmanly and thus, as might be expected, completely ignored by themen of power.But if this is how things stand in our time, then the dignity ofphilosophy is trampled into the dust; it has even become somethingludicrous, it would seem, or a matter of complete indifference toanyone: so that it is the duty of all its true friends to bear witnessagainst this confusion, and at the least to show that it is only its falseand unworthy servants who are ludicrous or a matter of indifference.It would be better still if they demonstrad by their deeds that loveof truth is something fearsome and mighty.Schopenhauer demonstrated both these things - and willdemonstrate them more and more as day succeeds day.194