During the 1860s Booth started to become interested in the philosophy of Auguste Comte, the founder of modern sociology. He was captivated by Comet's idea that in the future, scientific industrialists would be in control of the social leadership instead of the church ministers. Booth's work, along with that of Benjamin Seebohm Rowntree, influenced government policy regarding poverty in the early 20th century and helped initiate Old Age pensions and free school meals for the poorest children. In addition, his investigation would also demonstrate how poverty was influenced by religion, education, and administration.