Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet, a man of letters who adopted the pen name Voltaire, championed civil liberties and the separation of church and state, making him a poster child for the Enlightenment. He was a vocal critic of the Catholic Church's power and abuses, which, one might assume, would make him an ally of any persecuted minority. Not quite.

While his anti-clericalism was legendary, Voltaire's views on Judaism were, to put it mildly, less than enlightened. His 'Philosophical Dictionary' and other writings are littered with disparaging remarks, portraying Jews as superstitious, fanatical, and greedy. He saw them as an ancient people whose practices were utterly irreconcilable with reason and progress, rather than, say, a religion deserving of the same critical, yet respectful, scrutiny he applied elsewhere.

Despite his fervent advocacy for tolerance and freedom of thought, Voltaire seemingly drew a rather thick line when it came to Judaism, revealing a blind spot that continues to tarnish his otherwise celebrated legacy. So, while he was certainly famous for his attacks on organized religion, let's just say the Jewish people weren't exactly kvelling over his philosophical contributions to their cause.