Final answer:
A common obstacle to ethical decision-making is justification based on legality, where actions are deemed ethical because they are legal and permissible, ignoring the fact that legality does not always align with ethical standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the most common obstacles to ethical decision-making as identified in the Josephson's Institute's discussion on rationalizations is the justification of actions because they are legal and permissible. Individuals often use the legality of an action as a shield against the ethical scrutiny of that action, operating under the belief that if something is not illegal, it must thereby be ethical. However, legality does not equate to ethicality, and many actions may be legally permissible but unethical. Other obstacles to ethical decision-making include the rationalization of false necessity, where individuals believe they have no choice but to act unethically, and self-deception, where individuals convince themselves that their unethical actions are for a greater good.