Final answer:
Plato is credited with distinguishing several types of love and exploring their essence in his works, contributing significantly to philosophical understandings of love.
Step-by-step explanation:
The philosopher credited with distinguishing several types of love is Plato. Plato, a student of Socrates, went on to teach Aristotle and together they form an incredible intellectual lineage in Greek civilization. In his works, including the Phaedrus and The Symposium, Plato explores the essence of love, proposing different kinds such as Eros, Agape, Philia, and Storge. This exploration of love's different forms helped to establish a framework within which love could be philosophically considered, defining its necessary and sufficient conditions within a Platonic approach.