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Abstract This paper introduces Homo Vulnerabilis: an ontological category grounding human dignity in vulnerability rather than productivity. On this foundation, it develops Constructive Recognition Theory (CRT) -a proposed transdisciplinary framework reconstructing the relationship between vulnerability and recognition. The central proposition -"I am vulnerable, therefore I am owed recognition" -is grounded on two complementary levels (not as a logical inference in the Humean sense): (1) the phenomenological demand of the vulnerable face (Levinas, 1961), and (2) the ontological primacy of human dignity in Islamic philosophical thought, which precedes any productive or social condition. The paper offers a critical reassessment of Honneth (1995, 2024) and Fraser (2003, 2008), and proposes Constructive Recognition Theory (CRT) as a transdisciplinary framework engaging al-Shatibi's Maqasid and Ibn Khaldun's social cohesion theory as independent epistemic foundations. It also resolves the internal tension in Levinas's work between face-to-face ethics and institutional mediation through the "face-permeated institution" concept. Empirically, the paper draws on seven years of field-informed practice (2018–2026) across Kuwait and Oman, encompassing four national initiatives and more than 959 participants. These cases are presented as illustrative preliminary evidence -not definitive validation -supporting five testable hypotheses. The paper is positioned as a Theoretical Grounding Paper with Illustrative Field Evidence and concludes by outlining a structured research agenda for future empirical validation, including longitudinal tracking, mixed-methods approaches, and independent cross-cultural replication. Keywords: Homo Vulnerabilis · Constructive Recognition Theory (CRT) · Vulnerability ontology · Honneth · Levinas · al-Shatibi · Ibn Khaldun · DREC Scale · Ethical AI · Foundational justice