St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). A 15th century painting by Carlo Crivelli.

The medieval Christian philosophers had to reconcile the newly rediscovered, beautiful logic they encountered in Aristotle with their religion, which was based on contradiction. This is why St. Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, was so important to the Christian faith, and the most influential philosopher of his time and place. He was, to an extent, able to make something of a reconciliation. He called Aristotle ‘The Philosopher’. After his lifetime, it became commonplace for others to do the same. This is why Aristotle is referred to as The Philosopher in the Inferno. It had by then become unnecessary to name him otherwise.