Philosophy & Theology 227 GERMAIN GRISEZ ON KARL RAHNER’S T HEORY OF FUNDAMENTAL OPTION Timothy P. Muldoon Mount Aloysius College Abstract T his article seeks to explore the challeges raised by Germain Grisez to Karl Rahner’s theory of fundamental option. Dr. Grisez holds that Fr. Rahner misunderstood the Tridentine teaching on justification, and posited the inaccessability of fundamental op- tion to reflection. After reviewing Dr. Grisez’ position and the Tridentine doctrine of justification, the article will explore Fr. Rahner’s writings on fundamental option, and form conclusions regarding the conversation between Karl Rahner and Germain Grisez. Introduction T he relatively new theory of fundamental option has brought certain difficulties which call into question much of traditional moral theology. For the purpose of this article, I shall examine one such difficulty, as identified by Germain Grisez in his books The Way of the Lord Jesus (Volume one, Christian Moral Principles ), and Fulfillment in Christ, the latter being a shortened version of the former. In his section on the distinction between mortal and venial sins, Grisez writes, Some Catholic exponents of fundamental option argue that the Council of Trent taught that we cannot know with certitude that we are in the state of grace; since we cannot know that, neither can we know with certitude whether we are not in the state of grace; thus, there must be a fundamental option outside consciousness. Karl Rahner proposed this argument in 1955 [referring to T I 3 p. 108]. It does not work (Fulfillment, 195).