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How did Aristotle define the goals of first philosophy?

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Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background. — metaphysics Detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle (c. 325 bce); in the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

In the context of his philosophy, Aristotle defined "first philosophy"—a term he used interchangeably with "wisdom," "first science," and "theology"—through two primary, interconnected goals:1

The study of "being as such": This involves investigating the nature of being, or what it means for a thing to exist.1
The study of "first causes": This involves identifying the primary or original causes of things.1

Aristotle distinguished this "first philosophy" from "second philosophy," which encompasses the special sciences, such as physics, that deal with sensible and mutable objects. While the exact relationship between his two definitions of first philosophy remains a subject of scholarly debate, he viewed this discipline as the most honorable of the theoretical sciences, as it seeks to understand the highest form of reality.2134