RST AS A NEW THEORY OF RHETORIC

A considerable number of academic fields are interested in rhetoric and persuasion, such as psychology, communication, anthropology, policy, sociology, marketing, advertising, language, etc. Rhetoric is quite able to address audiences publically in purposeful and intentional persuasive ways. The theory that responds to this is the new theory of rhetoric, called Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST). The present study attempts to uncover the invaluable mechanism of RST. It investigates the orientation of RST, its basic concepts of cohesion and coherence, and its typical aspects of application. The study finds out that to handle, study, and analyse a persuasive discourse, RST is highly recommended.