drives everyone before it
What does "drives everyone before it" mean here?

Context:

And all but the most corrupt share the same desire to find some kind of truth about the structures, behaviours and contexts of the phenomena they study within their specialisms, even if they have to stay prepared for revolutionary changes of perspective. Anything does not ‘go’ and the hopefully impartial views of other experts are critical. And the quest for knowledge, real knowledge, drives everyone before it.

Question

drives everyone before it
What does "drives everyone before it" mean here?

Context:

And all but the most corrupt share the same desire to find some kind of truth about the structures, behaviours and contexts of the phenomena they study within their specialisms, even if they have to stay prepared for revolutionary changes of perspective. Anything does not ‘go’ and the hopefully impartial views of other experts are critical. And the quest for knowledge, real knowledge, drives everyone before it.

Answer

You  could think of 'the quest for knowledge' as a shepherd. That shepherd 'drives' their flock in front of them (before them). That quest pushes people along - to new places they have not been before.