The study of first causes is referred to as?

The study of first causes pertains to metaphysics, which examines the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and the origins of things. It addresses questions about what things are, their properties, and what causes them to exist. This area of philosophy is particularly concerned with the foundational principles that underpin all other knowledge and existence.

In contrast, epistemology focuses on the nature and scope of knowledge itself, questioning how we know what we know. Ontology, while related, specifically deals with the beings and their properties, but does not directly address the first causes of existence. Teleology studies purpose or design in natural phenomena, which is not aligned with the concept of first causes. Thus, the term that accurately conveys the study of first causes is metaphysics.