Pro's argument:

<ol>
<li>
To be cognitive is to perceive; have beliefs, desires, and intentions;
remember; use and understand natural language; reasong and make rational
decisions; etc.
<li>
If something behaves in all relevant ways as if it were
cognitive, then it is cognitive.
<li>
A suitable AI program (or suite of programs) will eventually behave in
all these ways.
<li>
Therefore, such a program will be cognitive.
</ol>

Con's argument:
<ol>
<li>
To be syntactic is to manipulate the symbols of a formal symbol system.
<li>
Computer programs are purely syntactic.
<li>
Therefore, no AI program will be cognitive.
</ol>

<b>Con:</b> But that's crazy!  Computer programs are purely
syntactic!
<p>
<b>Pro:</b> Now it's my turn to ask for clarification: What do you
mean by "syntactic"?
<p>
<b>Con:</b>:  I mean that all it can do is to manipulate the symbols
of a formal symbol system.
<p>
<b>Pro:</b>:  So what's the problem?
<p>
<b>Con:</b>: The problem is that cognition is semantic!  That is, it
involves the semantic interpretation of those symbols.
<p>
<b>Pro:</b>: Well, I'm not so sure about that.  But suppose you're
right.  What then?
<p>
<b>Con:</b> Well, syntax does not suffice for semantics. So, no
purely syntactic computer program can exhibit semantic cognition,
even if it behaves in all relevant ways as if it were cognitive.