The difficulties of the classical theory of the electron are examined and methods to eliminate them are given. It is shown that the whole theory can be derived from a division of the total field created by a point charge in two parts, one which reacts on the generating particle and accounts for the emission of radiation, another which does not react on the praticle but acts on other particles. There are several types of motions of the particles depending on the kind of field they generate, fields which are always solutions of Maxwell's equations. Only three types of motions are, apparently, physically interesting: (a) motions with positive or negative kinetic energy in which the particles radiate, and (b) radiationless motions analogous to the stationary motions of quantum theory. It is shown that the field picture of Faraday and Maxwell must be revised because not all the electric actions between particles can be considered as arising from their interaction with a field. The whole theory of the particles and the field can be derived from an action principle and boundary conditions for the equations of motion of the particles and the field.

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