It seems to me that with the sentient animals, it becomes an issue of appreciating other cultures on their own terms (and applying the lessons to one's own culture, as the Pevensies certainly did as Narnian Monarchs completely immersed in new cultures). The fact that the behavior exists in the dumb animals of Spare Oom becomes another echo and reminder, with the talking animal experience a bridge to help explain and accept it.
I do find Richard's difficulty very interesting here (especially in view of his thoughts in the scene where he jokingly propositions Peter as an amusing way to drive off Asim and his questions). I'm looking forward to this being followed up in Chapter 12. I'll hazard a guess that it might involve a view of humanity as different from and above animals, no matter how thoroughly Richard appreciates the animal world. The idea that apparently counter-evolutionary behavior is not some sort of subversive invention of sentients might sting as much as the idea of apparently counter-evolutionary behavior in fact having some natural role.
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I do find Richard's difficulty very interesting here (especially in view of his thoughts in the scene where he jokingly propositions Peter as an amusing way to drive off Asim and his questions). I'm looking forward to this being followed up in Chapter 12. I'll hazard a guess that it might involve a view of humanity as different from and above animals, no matter how thoroughly Richard appreciates the animal world. The idea that apparently counter-evolutionary behavior is not some sort of subversive invention of sentients might sting as much as the idea of apparently counter-evolutionary behavior in fact having some natural role.