  The Lorentz law of force is the fifth pillar of classical electrodynamics,
the other four being Maxwell's macroscopic equations. The Lorentz law is the
universal expression of the force exerted by electromagnetic fields on a volume
containing a distribution of electrical charges and currents. If electric and
magnetic dipoles also happen to be present in a material medium, they are
traditionally treated by expressing the corresponding polarization and
magnetization distributions in terms of bound-charge and bound-current
densities, which are subsequently added to free-charge and free-current
densities, respectively. In this way, Maxwell's macroscopic equations are
reduced to his microscopic equations, and the Lorentz law is expected to
provide a precise expression of the electromagnetic force density on material
bodies at all points in space and time. This paper presents incontrovertible
theoretical evidence of the incompatibility of the Lorentz law with the
fundamental tenets of special relativity. We argue that the Lorentz law must be
abandoned in favor of a more general expression of the electromagnetic force
density, such as the one discovered by A. Einstein and J. Laub in 1908. Not
only is the Einstein-Laub formula consistent with special relativity, it also
solves the long-standing problem of "hidden momentum" in classical
electrodynamics.
