Significant advances during the Enlightenment included developments in philosophy, science, and political thought. Philosophers like John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu emphasized reason, individual rights, and government by consent. In mathematics and science, figures such as Isaac Newton and René Descartes contributed greatly to understanding the natural world. The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for modern democracy and human rights by promoting ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity, ultimately influencing revolutions and reforms worldwide. This intellectual movement encouraged critical thinking and skepticism toward traditional authority, challenging the status quo and inspiring progress in various fields.